WRITTEN QUESTION P-3036/03 by Niall Andrews (UEN) to the Council. Tackling hunger in the world.
Date: 2003-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: cooperation policy, development aid, development policy, economic priority, health policy, hunger, poverty

C 84 E/44

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

(2004/C 84 E/0049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3015/03

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Third-party insurance for cars and the new Code

(14 October 2003)

In Italy the recent introduction of new sanctions in connection with the Highway Code has radically
altered the behaviour of Italian drivers and drastically reduced the number of accidents reported.

Four consumers’ associations in Italy (Aduc, Codacons, Adusbef and Federconsumatori) point out that the
sharp fall in the number of claims (which insurers say are the cause of the rising cost of third-party
insurance) should lead to a fall in the cost of car insurance. The provisions of the new Highway Code have
cut the number of accidents by 20 % and the number of people injured by 40 %, which has eased the
burden on insurance companies.

However, illogically, the costs of third-party insurance in Italy continue to rise and average rates in other
European countries are 20 % lower.

In the light of this, does not the Commission consider that the rise in (compulsory) third-party insurance
premiums in Italy is unjustified?

Does it intend to try to persuade the Italian government to take urgent measures to lower the price of
third-party insurance?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-3014/03 and E-3015/03
given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2003)

The Honourable Member is requested to refer to the Commission’s answers to written questions
P-0592/02 from Ms Thyssen (1), E-1522/03 from the Honourable Member (2) and E-2405/03, E-2406/03
and E-2407/03 from Mr Staes (3). These replies continue to reflect the Commission’s position.

(1) OJ C 301 E, 5.12.2002, p. 47.
(2) OJ C 33 E, 6.2.2004, p. 128.
(3) OJ C 78 E, 27.3.2004, p. 405.

(2004/C 84 E/0050)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3036/03

by Niall Andrews (UEN) to the Council

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Tackling hunger in the world

Will the Council state what its priorities are during the Italian Presidency to tackle continuing and high
levels of hunger and poverty in the world and to eradicate disease among young people?

Reply

(8 March 2004)

The Council shares the concerns of the Honourable Member as regards development cooperation with the
main objective of reducing poverty with a view to its eventual eradication. The Council confirms its
commitment
to pursue this objective in the coming months and years, particularly by supporting
sustainable economic, social and environmental development and by gradually integrating developing

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/45

countries into the world economy. The Council recalls, on this occasion the importance of food security
and sustainable rural development as one of
the European Community’s
development assistance activities.

the six priority areas of

The fight against poverty is one of the development objectives defined in the Millennium Declaration
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2000, which aimed to halve by 2015
poverty, hunger and diseases linked with poverty such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Community
development cooperation policy is therefore closely linked to commitments made at international level.

The Council recalls that it approved the conclusions of the United Nations Conference in Monterrey. At the
Barcelona European Council
in March 2002 the Member States committed themselves collectively to
increase their official development aid, which should reach 0,39 % of the GNP of the Member States by
2006, which would be a first significant step on the road to achieving the United Nations target of
devoting 0,7 % of GNP to official development aid. It should be noted that the European Union and its
Member States already finance more than 50 % of total development aid.

In the Council conclusions of May 2002, the European Union agreed that a substantial share of this
increase in the volume of ODA (official development aid) should go to support social development in
developing countries, with special emphasis on improving health and education, including the three major
transmissible diseases.

Finally, in the third Committee of UNGA 58 which started on 6 October 2003, the EU had prepared a
resolution on the rights of the child which addressed the issues of child poverty and child health.

In the current draft resolution the EU recognises that strengthened availability and effective allocation of
resources are required in order to ensure that all the development and poverty reduction goals as set out in
the United Nations Millennium Declaration, are realised within their time framework, and to promote the
enjoyment of the rights of the child.

The EU is also seeking in this text to promote the realisation of the highest attainable standard of health
through,
‘inter alia’, the development of sustainable health systems and social services paying particular
attention to the prevention of disease, malnutrition, disability and infant and child mortality, to prenatal
and post-natal health care, to the special needs of adolescents, to reproductive and sexual health and to
threats from substance abuse and violence, and ensuring access to such systems and services. Mention is
also made of the need to ensure the effective prevention of HIV infections, providing support and
rehabilitation to children and their families affected by HIV/AIDS and protecting children affected by HIV/
AIDS from all forms of discrimination, stigma, abuse and neglect.

(2004/C 84 E/0051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3041/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Serious defects in Greek ambulances

The ‘New Democracy’ party has repeatedly brought up in the Greek parliament the question of the
provision of ambulances belonging to the National Emergency Aid Centre (EKAB), the specifications which
should be met, transparency in the choice of the vehicle makes bought and the equipment that they
should have in order to be able to carry out their difficult tasks.

Workers at EKAB have on many occasions pointed out that many of these ambulances lack the requisite
portable artificial respiration equipment (which is designed to give the first supplies of oxygen to an