WRITTEN QUESTION E-1391/03 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission. Health passport for non-EU citizens.
Date: 2003-04-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: World Health Organisation, disease prevention, health legislation, immigration, infectious disease, international law, public health

9.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 242 E/227

Member States are required to notify disease outbreaks and unusual epidemiological situations to the
Commission pursuant to Decision No 2119/98/EC of the Parliament and of the Council setting up a
network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community (1).
A further Commission Decision has been proposed adding variola major to Commission Decision 2002/
253/EC of 19 March 2002 laying down case definitions for reporting communicable diseases to the
Community network under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the Parliament and of the Council (2).

In addition,
the Commission, as indicated in its Communications on 28 November 2001 on ‘Civil
protection: state of preventive alert against possible emergencies’ (3) and on 11 June 2002 on ‘Civil
Protection (cid:1) Progress made in implementing the programme for preparedness for possible emergencies’ (4),
is co-operating closely with the Member States to enhance their preparedness and response not only to
smallpox but also other threats from (deliberate release of) chemical, biological and radio-nuclear (CBRN)
agents. It has launched a series of co-ordinated actions across the civil protection, health, enterprise
(pharmaceuticals), research, nuclear and transport and energy fields.

Finally, the Commission has joined efforts with the Council in inventorying measures and actions across
Union policies to face up to CBRN terrorist threats and setting up the strategic objectives for future action.
These are set out in the joint programme, agreed on 20 December 2002 (5), to improve co-operation in
the Union for preventing and limiting the consequences of such threats.

(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.
(2) OJ L 86, 3.4.2002.
(3) COM(2001) 707 final.
(4) COM(2002) 302 final.
(5) Council Document 14627/02.

(2003/C 242 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1391/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(15 April 2003)

Subject: Health passport for non-EU citizens

The recent case of cholera identified in a Senegalese passenger on a flight from Brussels to Turin is a very
real reminder of the grave dangers posed by inadequate health controls on immigrants from outside the
EU.

This is in addition to the alarm raised by the world health authorities over the SARS virus.

Does the Commission not consider it useful, in relation to the circulation of non-EU citizens, to propose
the creation of a special health passport to safeguard the health of all?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(19 May 2003)

The Commission is well aware of the potential risks of imported communicable diseases and their impact
on Member States. The current epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS) is a good example of
such a threat. The Commission is collaborating with the Member States,
through the designated
Authorities of the Ministries of Health, and with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to implement
actions to control such diseases,
in particular through the revision of the WHO International Health
in such cases, particularly where an incubation period is involved, there is no
Regulations. However,
obvious link between health-related information which might be contained in a health passport and the
control of a communicable disease of this nature.

The Commission will prepare a SARS Monitoring Report for the 2 June 2003 Health Council.