WRITTEN QUESTION P-2767/03 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission. NGO funding.
Date: 2003-09-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: abortion, developing countries, eligibility criteria, health policy, non-governmental organisation, reproductive health

C 78 E/756

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0803)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2767/03

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 September 2003)

Subject: NGO funding

Can the EU Commission fund organisations which support or participate in the management of a
programme of coercive abortion?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 2003)

The Commission’s policy on abortion is based on a set of principles adopted through a series of major
development conferences over recent years,
including the 1994 Cairo International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD) and ICPD plus five. All 15 Member States of the Union have endorsed
the ICPD Programme of Action.

Accordingly, the Commission supports the right of men and women to make a free and informed choice
about the number and spacing of their children, to have access to good family planning and sexual health
services, and to have access to skilled care during birth.

The Commission regards national legislation as paramount when it comes to the question of abortion
being performed within the formal health care system. It does not support abortion policies as a means to
limit population growth in developing countries and it is strongly opposed to forced abortion.

The Union has recently adopted a Regulation (EC) No 1567/2003 of the Parliament and of the Council of
15 July 2003, on aid for policies and actions on reproductive and sexual health and rights in developing
countries (1). This regulation provides the basis for financing projects in developing countries. In selecting
the beneficiaries for Community funding open tendering procedures are applied. The Commission
considers the activity for which the funds were authorised, not the whole range of activities carried out by
the beneficiary organisation.

(1) OJ L 224, 6.9.2003.

(2004/C 78 E/0804)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/03

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 September 2003)

Subject: Combating legionnaires’ disease

According to the guidelines which have to be followed, if a single case of legionnaires’ disease is reported
(cid:1) defined as ‘cases who in the ten days before onset of illness stayed at or visited an accommodation site
that has not been associated with any other cases of legionnaires’ disease, or cases who stayed at an
accommodation site linked to other cases of legionnaires’ disease but more than two years previously’ (cid:1)
travel organisations need not inform travellers. However, in this situation there are grounds for suspecting
the presence of legionella in the building concerned, so a report of a single case is serious enough to
warrant an insistence that measures be taken in relation to the accommodation site.

After a report of a cluster of cases of the disease, the authorities have two weeks to submit a provisional
report to the EWGLI. If no provisional report has been received within this time limit, the accommodation
site is listed on the EWGLI website.

1. Where a single case of legionnaires’ disease is reported, does the Commission consider that, in view
of the life-threatening nature of the disease, it is desirable for a travel organisation to provide the fullest
possible information to travellers, and if so,
is the provision of information for which the guidelines
currently provide too limited?