WRITTEN QUESTION E-1613/03 by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Date: 2003-05-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Asia, EU control, Schengen Agreement, World Health Organisation, air transport, border control, disease prevention, exchange of information, infectious disease

21.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/159

close trade relations with all these countries and receives a constant influx of Asian immigrants, many of
them illegal immigrants, has not yet devised an appropriate prevention and control plan for the continent
as a whole, with standard measures to be carried out by all the Member States, not least in order to devise
the means of tackling a possible epidemic.

In view of all this, does the Commission not intend to take any urgent action?

(2003/C 280 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1604/03

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(6 May 2003)

Subject: Atypical pneumonia virus (SARS)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been causing worldwide concern since February.

At the beginning of April there were 2 223 suspected cases in the world, 78 of which resulted in death.
In Europe there were 5 suspected cases in Germany, 8 in Italy, 3 in the United Kingdom, 2 in Ireland, 1 in
France and 1 in Belgium (none of them fatal).

According to the most recent information supplied by the Chinese Ministry of Health, SARS has killed
another 9 people in the country and there are 203 new suspected cases (95 of them in Beijing). The total
number of cases in China has now risen to 3 117, and the number of deaths has risen from 131 to 140
(59 of them in Beijing).

The antibiotics used to combat the most serious form of the infection have proved ineffective and as yet
there are no antiviral drugs (it will allegedly take at least a year to develop any).

The Member States have taken action to tighten up preventive measures. In Italy, for example, not only
will people arriving from countries at risk have to fill in a form at all airports, they will also be interviewed
by doctors accompanied by interpreters.

Can the Commission say whether:

1.

2.

3.

it intends to take prompt action aimed at coordinating European-wide measures to prevent, control
and monitor the disease;

it will propose the creation of a European centre to combat disease, as Commissioner Byrne
recommended when addressing the European Parliament on 7 April 2003;

it considers it appropriate to coordinate the increasingly rigorous checks to be carried out by the
airlines flying to EU airports from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Canada (for example,
measuring the temperature of passengers when they leave the areas at risk and when they arrive in
Europe, with the possibility of quarantine for suspected cases) and urge countries outside the EU to
carry out the same checks?

(2003/C 280 E/177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1613/03

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

(13 May 2003)

On 28 April 2003 the World Health Organisation stated that there were 32 reported probable cases of
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in EU Member States.

Should the Commission consider the measures taken by a Member State to be inadequate, would the
Commission consider implementing a coordinated EU response?

C 280 E/160

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

21.11.2003

Will the Commission be persuading Member States to initiate the checking of all airline filters for
coronavirus (and other micro-organisms) after each journey, given that the SARS PCR test only takes about
4 hours to come through with a result?

Does the Commission accept that with a disease such as SARS, the EU’s defence will only be as strong as
its weakest point (cid:1) i.e. the least effective national measures?

(2003/C 280 E/178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1617/03

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 May 2003)

Subject: SARS

In view of the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS virus, urgent action by the Union
authorities is required to devise common protection measures and strengthen cooperation between
Member States.

The Italian Health Minister, Girolamo Sirchia, has called for checks in Europe to be stepped up because,
without close coordination, the open frontiers between the countries of the Schengen area could prove to
be a weak spot in preventing the spread of the epidemic.

It is vital to establish a European health protection strategy at borders, and above all at airports, and to
introduce a health safety code that will have to be enforced by all the countries that are signatories to the
Schengen agreement.

In the light of this, can the Commission indicate what action it intends to take to prevent the spread of the
virus and strengthen coordination between the national authorities?

When does intend to respond to the request from the Italian Government for checks in countries of the
Schengen area to be improved?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1521/03, E-1547/03, P-1604/03, E-1613/03 and E-1617/03
given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2003)

The Commission has taken a proactive and leading role in responding to the outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

As recently stated by the Council on SARS (6 May 2003), this has been undertaken through the Union
Network for the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases in the Community
working under the Decision No 2119/98/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 (1), and it has provided a very effective basis for the rapid exchange of information within the
Union and for a co-ordinated response,
in which the European Economic Area/European Free Trade
Association (EEA/EFTA) and Candidate Countries have fully participated in collaboration with the World
Health Organisation (WHO).

The Commission is also keeping regular contact with Europe’s airlines and airports associations, promoting
the exchange of information and good practices on SARS. The air travel industry has been consulted on
their expectations for a Community-wide co-ordination, although it must in any case follow standard
WHO guidelines under the supervision of national health authorities.

The Council, at its extraordinary meeting on SARS, broadly agreed the orientation developed by the
Commission with the assistance of the Network Committee.