WRITTEN QUESTION E-3540/02 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Health inequalities.
Date: 2002-12-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: action programme, health policy, public health, social inequality

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/297

(2004/C 88 E/0303)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3540/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 December 2002)

Subject: Health inequalities

I refer the Commission to the paper ‘A strategy for tackling health inequalities in the Netherlands’, by
Professors Johan P Mackenbach and Karien Stronks of the University of Amsterdam, published in the
British Medical Journal, volume 325, 2 November 2002.

The study points to a number of innovations that have helped reduce socio-economic inequalities in health
in that country but concludes that no single country has the capacity to contribute more than a fraction of
the knowledge necessary to support and develop such strategies. It suggests that there is an important role
for the European Union in promoting such collaboration.

What are the Commission’s current commitments and future plans in this respect?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2003)

The Commission is well aware of the work conducted by Professor Mackenbach and his collaborators, on
health inequalities. Some of this has been supported from the Community’s health promotion programme.

The new Public Health Programme (2003-2008) highlights the importance of addressing the (wider)
determinants of health. Areas such as low income/poverty, unhealthy living conditions, working
important determinants of health. The
conditions, unemployment, as well as life-style factors are all
unequal distribution of health and its determinants is associated with social class/ socio-economic position.

The programme includes specific actions to tackle inequalities in health. It recognises that strategies to
reduce health inequalities in the Community are required to provide co-ordinated actions across major
policy areas.

Initially, it is planned to focus work on developing health inequality indicators, collecting information and
best practice across Europe about policies and interventions and developing pilot networks to assure
effective exchanges between countries on addressing health inequalities.

(2004/C 88 E/0304)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3566/02

by Freddy Blak (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(12 December 2002)

Subject: Contracts between Eurostat and Eurogramme

On 14 November 2002 I sent the following letter to Commissoner Pedro Solbes: ‘I have been informed
that the contracts of the company Eurogramme Ltd, with which Eurostat has several contracts, have been
moved from this company to a new company simply called Eurogramme. Can you confirm this and if so,
could you please explain how this is compatible with the rule that Eurostat only enters into contracts with
companies that can show three years’ full and correct accounts?’

In his answer Commissioner Solbes writes:
‘Thank you for your letter of 14 November concerning the
contracts of Eurostat with the company Eurogramme. This issue has been transmitted for investigation to
OLAF, and I am therefore not in a position to comment until the investigation has been completed.’