WRITTEN QUESTION P-1357/03 by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Preventive measures to combat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Date: 2003-04-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: air transport, carriage of passengers, disease prevention, health control, health policy, respiratory disease

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/189

(2003/C 268 E/212)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1357/03

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(4 April 2003)

Subject: Preventive measures to combat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

The Commission’s website contains only one reference to SARS. On 19 March, the EU’s communicable
disease network claimed that SARS is transmitted through direct contact only, though that is not certain,
and possibly also via airborne contact. The only certainty is that we do not know enough about this.
Antibiotics are not effective, and no antiviral drugs are available (yet). There have been 60 deaths, mostly
in Asia; but there have also been four in Canada. 1750 people are likely to have become infected.
Yesterday (31 March 2003) 92 cases alone were reported in Hong Kong.

It is high time the EU acted:

(cid:1) All airlines flying to EU airports from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore or Canada must
have their passengers examined by medical personnel before travelling to Europe and, where there is
doubt, they should be turned away. KLM has already made a start on this.

(cid:1) Travelling from Europe to the five countries concerned should be strongly discouraged.

(cid:1) The Greek Presidency should very shortly convene a special meeting of EU health ministers.

How does the Commission view these proposals?

Can the Commission say whether it intends to act to bring about the development of a reliable test for the
SARS virus as quickly as possible, and, if so, what action does it intend to take?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(12 May 2003)

The Commission is well aware of the impact and the potential risks of the current epidemic of Severe
Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS). The Commission is collaborating with the Members States, through the
designated Authorities of the Ministries of Health, and with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to
implement all the possible actions to control the spreading of SARS.

During the European Parliament plenary session on 7 April 2003, the Commission gave a statement on
SARS, reporting the detailed information on the monitoring of the SARS crisis at European Union level,
including surveillance strategies, rapid alert system and exchange of information with Member States, EFTA
countries and Candidate countries.

All new cases of SARS are reported daily by the Member States to the Commission, through the
Community Network for the Surveillance of Communicable Diseases, under the Decision No 2119/98/
EC (1),
in order to have a complete and clear picture of the evolving situation in Europe. An active
surveillance strategy has been launched at European level to detect all the potentially infected persons
travelling from the affected areas and to ensure comprehensive detection including hospital settings and
the wider community. At the moment, in Europe, only one case of local transmission of SARS has been
reported by the United Kingdom but without any secondary cases. This fact is the best evidence that this
strategic approach is working well and that it is giving the expected results.

The Commission agrees with WHO that travellers from affected regions need to be screened at departure,
informed during the flight and eventually referred to the national health authorities on arrival. The
Community Network Committee (NC) on communicable diseases met in Luxembourg on 9-10 April 2003
and agreed on immediate actions for the control of the epidemic. The actions were based on the current
knowledge and are liable to change as the situation evolves.

C 268 E/190

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

As far as diagnosis of SARS is concerned, we still do not have a valid laboratory test. Researchers in several
countries are working towards developing fast and accurate laboratory tests for the SARS. However, until
those tests have been adequately field tested and shown to be reliable, SARS diagnosis remains dependent
on the clinical findings.

A specific SARS page reporting background, specific data and guidelines is maintained and regularly
updated on the European Commission Public Health website at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/
ph_threats/com/sars/sars_en.htm.

the relevant research areas. The
Europe has access to a rich resource of competence in most of
Commission is now investigating how to best provide support to research on SARS and other unforeseen
health threats posed by infectious diseases in the medium- to long-term perspective. The Commission has
been reporting to the Council and its working groups about actions taken on a regular basis, and will
continue to do so as requested. The decision to organise a special meeting of Health Ministers may be
taken by the Presidency taking into account the expected added value of the meeting held at this level.

(1) Decision No 2119/1998/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for
the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community, OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.

(2003/C 268 E/213)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1362/03

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(4 April 2003)

Subject: Alarming situation of Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang in Hanoi

Only a few days after Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV)
was visited by diplomats from EU Member States, the Commission and the United States during his
convalescence in Hanoi, his situation has taken a sudden turn for the worse. According to the International
Buddhist Information Bureau (IBIB), the Hanoi authorities have reacted adversely to the Patriarch’s recent
6-point statement calling for his immediate release and that of his deputy Thich Quang Do, the re-
establishment of the UBCV’s legitimate status, an assurance of the UBCV’s complete independence of all
political control, and a guarantee of the UBCV’s right freely to organise humanitarian operations.

Three UBCV dignitaries who had accompanied the Patriarch to Hanoi were forced to leave under threat of
imminent arrest, and the Patriarch himself is unable to leave the capital. In a phone conversation with IBIB
Director Vo Van Ai, the Patriarch said the authorities were pressing him to go to the Nguyen Thieu
Monastery (Binh Dinh province) instead of returning to Nghia Hanh (Quang Ngai province), where he has
been detained without trial for the past 21 years. This is part of a government campaign to transfer the
Patriarch to Binh Dinh and place him under house arrest, whilst claiming that he has been released. The
Patriarch said he had reiterated to the authorities that he would only move from Quang Ngai when he had
received official release papers. He would then return to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where he was arrested
in 1982.

initiative is to be warmly welcomed (cid:1) aware of these recent
Is the Commission (cid:1) whose recent
intend to take regarding this new
developments concerning the Patriarch? What
campaign of harassment against him? More generally, given the Hanoi authorities’ total obduracy towards
freedom of religion and expression, does it not feel that it should call upon EU Member States to issue an
extremely serious warning on this matter to the Vietnamese authorities?

initiatives does it

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2003)

As the Honourable Member is certainly aware the situation concerning the Supreme Patriach of the
Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, has evolved since the submission of
the question. He has in particular been received by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, but has also
been allowed to return to Quang Ngai Province.