WRITTEN QUESTION E-2963/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Spending cuts on accident research and prevention.
Date: 2003-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, accident prevention, public health, research budget

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/179

The latest data available for the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) shows that consumer prices
have risen by 2,1 % for the euro area as a whole between September 2002 and September 2003, 3,8 % for
Ireland, 3,3 % for Greece (August to August), 3,2 % for Portugal, 3,0 % for Spain and 3,0 % for Italy. These
are the five Member States with the highest annual rates.

The Commission draws the attention of the Honourable Member to the section on the euro area in the
2003-2005 Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG) adopted by the Council
in June 2003. In that
section, it is recognised that inflation differences in a monetary union are a matter of fact and that the
inflation differences observed between euro area Member States largely reflect differences in economic
structures and growth performance. The BEPG recommends policy actors at the national level to ‘analyse
the causes of inflation differences to identify instances when they are undesirable, with a view to Member
States addressing them through using the levers available to them’. As usual, the Commission will continue
to closely monitor
the Member States and report on the
implementation of the BEPG.

the macroeconomic situation in all

(2004/C 70 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2963/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Spending cuts on accident research and prevention

In a letter to the Commission’s Health Directorate, the European Accident Prevention Network expresses
concern at a 30 % cut in funding for accident research and prevention. According to the Public Health and
Epidemiology laboratory, EUR 1,7 to 1,8 million is being earmarked annually for the accident prevention
programme over the next five years compared with EUR 2,5 million annually for the previous period,
despite an overall increase in the Community public health budget.

Given that in the industrialised countries, accidents are the prime cause of death among productive
workers in the under-45 age group and that overall life expectancy is affected more by fatal accident
statistics than by other factors (such as cardiovascular disorders or tumours) and in view of the high social
and economic cost of serious injury for the Community as a whole:

1. What were the reasons for these drastic cuts in funding?

2. Will the Commission act (cid:1) and if so how (cid:1) to ensure that research into accident prevention is
stepped up?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2003)

The Commission did not recently cut the appropriations allocated to research into and prevention of
accidents in the Union by 30 %.

The proposals for financial support regarding accident and injury prevention received in the framework of
the 2003 funding round of the Community public health programme are currently being evaluated.
A decision on selection of projects to be financed is expected shortly. Several projects dealing with
accidents and injuries have been presented in the selection process.