WRITTEN QUESTION E-3467/02 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Effective treatment of tuberculosis — progress.
Date: 2002-12-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, action programme, disease prevention, health policy, infectious disease, support policy

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Official Journal of the European Union

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27.3.2004

the Union attaches to Moldova has also been reflected in the decision of the Gothenburg European Council
(15/16 June 2001) to invite the country together with Ukraine to the next European Conference.

Community assistance has amounted to EUR 120 million of technical assistance and EUR 87 million of
macro-financial assistance over the last ten years. The European Humanitarian Office (ECHO) had provided
some EUR 5,5 million in order to cushion the adverse humanitarian impact of the 1998 Russian financial
crisis. In accordance with its core mandate (emergency relief in the immediate aftermath of natural or man
made disasters) ECHO has phased out its activities in Moldova in 2001. In March 2001, the Commission
started the Food Security Programme (EUR 5,5 million for the 2002 budgetary year).

Nothing in the Union relations with Russia or Ukraine obliges the Union not to concern itself with
developments in Moldova. On the contrary, the situation in Moldova is a regular topic in the EU’s political
dialogue with Russia and Ukraine, with a view to improving common understanding on the root causes of
the country’s problems, and in order to find solutions in the Transdniestria in particular where the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) also has a key role to play.

Concerning possible EU membership for Moldova, the Commission acts strictly in accordance with the
basic criteria for Union accession as laid down by the European Council of Copenhagen in 1993 as well as
the decision of the Luxembourg European Council in 1997 as regards the countries which participate in
the current accession process. Economic or cultural links with present Member States have no bearing in
the situation.

Whether or not an individual possesses the nationality of a Member State, or the right to obtain it, is a
matter for the national law of the Member State concerned. After accession, it would still be within the
competence of Romania to grant nationality to residents of Moldova. People with double Moldovan/
Romanian nationality would have visa-free access to Romania or any other Member State. The
Commission does not have any basis for estimating the migration flows that may result from such
developments.

As a general rule, upon accession to the Union, Romania will have to introduce a visa requirement for
nationals of those third countries listed in Annex I of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 (1), as
amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2414/2001 of 7 December 2001 (2). Possible exceptions from the
general visa requirement would be subject to the relevant provisions of these regulations.

The Commission hopes that Moldova will be able to avoid political developments similar to those in
Belarus, and is ready to do its part, together with the international community, to try to ensure this.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in
from that

possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt
requirement, OJ L 81, 21.3.2001.

(2) OJ L 327, 12.12.2001.

(2004/C 78 E/0365)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3467/02

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 December 2002)

Subject: Effective treatment of tuberculosis (cid:1) progress

In the Commission’s answer to my previous written parliamentary question E-1238/01 (1) regarding action
against major communicable diseases including TB, I was reassured that a Framework for Action had been
produced outlining the Commission’s Stop TB initiative.

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Could the Commission provide a progress report on the initiative so far? How much funding is being
directed towards control of
these diseases? Does the development of new diagnostics, drugs and
vaccinations remain a priority of the programme? Are we yet achieving developmental results?

Does the Commission envisage an increase in European funding directed at the Global Plan to Stop TB?

(1) OJ C 350 E, 11.12.2001, p. 97.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2003)

The Commission will present a progress report on its Programme for action on communicable diseases in
the context of poverty reduction to Parliament and Council in early 2003. The average annual Community
aid in the past eight years (1994-2001) to ‘health’ is over EUR 400 million (1), not including research and
humanitarian aid funds. The majority of the Community support to health outcomes is not targeting
specific diseases but rather strengthening health systems through partnership with developing countries,
which are crucial to respond to these diseases. At present, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) malaria and tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries receive
Community funding mainly through indicative country and regional programmes, non-governmental
organisation co-financing, the 5 and 6 research framework, the special budget lines on HIV/AIDS and
reproductive health, and the contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Overall, the total estimated allocation to Community programmes targeting specifically these diseases in
the last eight years (1994-2001) has been EUR 660 million, that is an average of EUR 82,5 million per
year. The research and development of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines are included in the programme
for action targeted at the three diseases.

The international targets towards TB control were agreed at the Amsterdam Conference in April 2000 and
endorsed by the World Health Assembly, creating the Stop TB Initiative. These targets are 70 % case
detection and 85 % DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment-Short regime) coverage by 2005, which could
effectively halve TB deaths by 2010. The global picture two years later is not of success: an annual increase
of 2 % in incidence and overall 27 % DOTS coverage (some three million cases). It is clear that DOTS needs
scaling up and additional funds. The Commission is currently also funding research under the 5th
Framework programme (cid:1) International cooperation programme with developing countries (cid:1) on how to
improve DOTS efficiency in Africa.

The Stop TB Partnership has presented the Global Plan to Stop TB in which it describes the strategies and
resources needed over the next five years to expand, adapt, and improve DOTS (cid:1) meeting the 2005 global
targets and setting the world on the road to the elimination of TB. USD 9 billion are needed to fulfill the
objectives of the Plan, with a present gap of nearly USD 4 billion.

The Commission supports the Global Fund to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis which includes TB
control. Several proposals target
including scaling up DOTS. The
tuberculosis control programmes,
Commission has committed EUR 120 million for year 2002 to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis, and is a member of the Board. An annual contribution through the Budget Line on the
Programme for Action is currently being discussed with the Budgetary Authority.

(1) Thematic evaluation of population and development oriented programmes in EC external co-operation, September

2002.