WRITTEN QUESTION E-3041/03 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Serious defects in Greek ambulances.
Date: 2003-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Greece, first aid, medical device, organisation of health care, supplies contract, transport of patients

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/263

In Annex IV of the Agreement, Article 37 (6) lays down that the procedures for clearance, authorisation
and payment of expenditure must be completed within a period of 90 days from the date on which the
payment becomes due.

Under the Cotonou Agreement, financial management is decentralised to the authorities of the ACP
countries. Their National Authorising Officers (NAO) manage EDF programmes. Under the terms of
Article 37(6) mentioned above the NAO has 45 days to process and deliver the payment authorisation to
the Commission’s Head of Delegation responsible for the country concerned. The Commission then has,
within the overall 90-days limit, 45 days to complete its internal procedures and make the payment.

This rule contained in the Cotonou Agreement was taken over in Article 67 of the EDF Financial
Regulation.

(1) Council Directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public
service contracts, OJ L 209, 24.7.1992 Council Directive 93/36/EEC of 14 June 1993 coordinating procedures for
the award of public supply contracts, OJ L 199, 9.8.1993 Council Directive 93/37/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning
the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, OJ L 199, 9.8.1993 Council Directive
93/38/EEC of 14 June 1993 coordinating the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy,
transport and telecommunications sectors, OJ L 199, 9.8.1993.

(2) Directive 2000/35/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on combating late payment in
commercial
transactions, OJ L 200, 8.8.2000, Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of
23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom)
No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

(3) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002.
(4) OJ L 83, 1.4.2003.
(5) OJ L 317, 15.12.2000.

(2004/C 65 E/277)

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
injured person), as well as another acutely essential piece of equipment, the defibrillator, which ought to be
in every ambulance to administer repeated electrical shocks to a patient who has had a heart attack.

The ‘New Democracy’ party has repeatedly pointed out (through the social issues coordinator responsible
for this area, our former European Parliament colleague Nikitas Kaklamanis) the problem of lack of
transparency in the choice of ambulances makes bought from time to time (thanks to the second and third
Community support frameworks).

Could the Commission set out the exact total amounts which have been made available by the EU from
1994 until the present, and indicate precisely which operational programmes (either via the CSF or
Community initiatives) apply to the provision of ambulances and other emergency medical care transport
units? Has the Commission been informed of the above-mentioned defects in ambulance equipment? What
is the Commission’s position with regard to the allegations by workers at EKAB that for a city such as
Athens (with five million residents) there are only 72 ambulances, amounting to one ambulance for every
70 000 city residents; hence the recent incident (on 30 September 2003) of the injured motorcyclist in
Athens who waited for two hours in a heap on the road for an ambulance to arrive?

C 65 E/264

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2003)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.

(2004/C 65 E/278)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3047/03

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR), Heinz Kindermann (PSE),
John McCartin (PPE-DE) and Willi Görlach (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Recreational fisheries and tourism statistics

(17 October 2003)

The Commission and Council are aware that there is a need to improve the common statistical base on
tourism. A common platform of know-how is a precondition for benchmarking, for change of views, for
learning and for addressing strategic problems in the tourism sector. Also that there is a need to develop
statistically valid and comparable data on tourism. A common goal is to initiate the implementation of
national Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) in the Member States. Recreational fisheries (angling tourism)
are a significant part of the European tourism sector.

Will the Commission make sure that recreational fisheries are measured and their figures mentioned in
their own right within the overall frame for tourism statistics?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2003)

The Commission would like to draw the attention to the usefulness of the existing statistical legislation
(Directive 95/57/EC) (1) for the production of internationally comparable statistics in the field of tourism.
Its implementation in the Member States has led to constant progress in the availability of valid and
comparable data on tourism. This data is published regularly by the Commission. As regards the Acceding
Countries, major progress has been made, so that they can provide the same level of information as the
present Member States at the moment when they will be joining the Union on 1 May 2004.

In the above-mentioned Directive, many breakdowns of the data are already requested, such as breakdowns
by nationality, by length of stay or by principal mode of transport. No breakdown is requested concerning
the type of holidays. As a result, it is not possible to distinguish recreational fisheries (or any other type of
holiday)
In order to limit response burden, an introduction of additional
breakdowns is not foreseen.

in the tourism statistics.

(1) Council Directive 95/57/EC of 23 November 1995 on the collection of statistical

information in the field of

tourism, OJ L 291, 6.12.1995.

(2004/C 65 E/279)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3063/03

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: European Parliament and Council Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to

medicinal products for human use

It has been scientifically proven that medicines affect women and men differently, yet women are
underrepresented in clinical trials and the data gathered is not systematically treated as gender-specific.