WRITTEN QUESTION E-3206/02 by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission. Medical errors.
Date: 2002-11-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Canada, EU Member State, United States, competence of the Member States, health statistics, information system, medical error, public health

C 110 E/184

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

(2003/C 110 E/203)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3206/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(11 November 2002)

Subject: Medical errors

Researchers say that approximately 108 000 people die in United States and Canada every year as a result
of medical errors. An error occurs in seven percent of all medical treatments: medicines are administered
too early or too late, the wrong medicine is used or the dose is incorrect. In 0,32 % of these cases the
outcome is fatal. The figures are exactly the same for emergency cases. In almost a third of all reported
cases, medical error is the result of negligence. Belgian researchers estimate that the same figures apply to
Belgium.

Can the Commission confirm these estimates?

Does the Commission have figures for medical errors in the European Union? If so can it disclose them?

What is the Commission doing to cut the number of medical errors?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 2002)

Under the EC Treaty,
responsibility of the Member States, not of the Community (Article 152, paragraph 5).

the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care are the

The Commission does not therefore have a role in systematically monitoring specific medical errors in the
Union. However, under the health information system, which will be part of the new public health
Community action programme, the Commission will be developing a set of health indicators, which will
include indicators concerning avoidable causes of death as well as iatrogenic diseases and death (calculated
risks to health as a result of medical actions, incorporating medical errors). These health indicators are
foreseen to be collected by the Member States and to be stored in the Euphin-system (European Public
Health Information System). On the basis of the outcome of this data-collection further initiatives may be
considered.

(2003/C 110 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3213/02

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(12 November 2002)

Subject: European code for the allocation of subsidies to prevent distortion of competition

During a working visit on 19 October 2002 to Sanmina-SCI, a computer company in Heerenveen in the
province of Friesland which was set up in about 2000 and is to close down at the end of this year (with
the loss of 260 jobs),
In an
increasingly globalised economy, big brand-name companies are setting up such quasi-independent
companies as Sanmina-SCI for the purpose of being able to close down particular divisions (cid:1) often at the
cheapest location (cid:1) without damaging the reputation of the brand name. Such businesses as Hewlett
Packard and Philips regularly employ this strategy. In many cases, the production unit concerned exists to
supply a single customer and has no R & D division of its own, making it highly vulnerable.

this company had received European subsidies.

it became clear that

It might be desirable for the OECD code to be incorporated in contracts when multinationals directly or
indirectly receive European subsidies or other public funding. It might in particular be desirable for this to
apply to parent-company multinationals with well-known brand names which use subcontracting units
like SCI.