WRITTEN QUESTION P-3154/03 by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission. Mobile telephone safety.
Date: 2003-10-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: cardiovascular disease, health policy, medical device, mobile phone, non-ionising radiation, product safety, public awareness campaign

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/733

From the list of career movements of Directors-General since 1999 which is sent direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat, the Honourable Member will see that no current Director-General
has been in his or her current post for more than five years.

In September 1999, eight Directors-General had been in their posts for more than seven years and four for
more than five years. Of that total of 12, two moved posts or left the Institution in 1999, four in 2000,
two in 2001, two in 2002 and two in 2003. The mobility provisions were not implemented in the case of
the Director General for Eurostat initially because of his central role in the period running up to and
following the introduction of the Euro and, subsequently, because of his impending early retirement. The
procedure for his replacement was initiated by publication of his post on 9 January 2003 as part of a
wider mobility schedule relating to several DGs which was prepared in 2002.

The Commission recognises the practical need to take due account of the interests of the Service when
deciding on the timing of mobility moves and a limited period remaining before retirement can be one of
the factors taken into consideration.

No officials are exempt from the mobility requirement and the Commission does not intend to introduce
such exemptions or to change the current guidelines.

It is, of course, not possible to anticipate retirement dates of personnel with precision because some
officials choose not to continue in employment until the age of 65 when it is compulsory.

The legal advice tendered to me is that systematic provision of information on the ages of named Directors
General would breach the personal data protection provisions of Regulation 45/2001/EC and, specifically,
Article 6 of that Statute.

The Commission can, however, inform the Honourable Member that of the 31 existing Directors General,
one is 46, one is 48, two are 49, one is 50, three are 53, two are 54, one is 55, six are 56, one is 57, five
are 58, three are 60, one is 61, two are 62, and two are 64.

(2004/C 84 E/0826)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3154/03

by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission

(20 October 2003)

Subject: Mobile telephone safety

Given the findings of recent studies which show that the new generation of mobile telephones can
interfere with many types of heart pacemaker, can the Commission detail what measures are being taken
to prevent harm to the health of EU citizens?

It would seem that newer pacemakers that are fitted with a ceramic filter are immune. Can the
Commission confirm that steps are being taken to introduce these models across the industry and to
ensure that the public are aware of the risks of using the old models?

Can the Commission also detail what information it has provided regarding the safety of using mobile
telephones in conjunction with a pacemaker since 1994?

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2004)

The Commission is not aware of the studies to which the Honourable Member is referring. Similarly, the
Commission is not aware that under the vigilance systems in place with regard to medical devices,
incidents have occurred.

C 84 E/734

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Pacemakers must meet the requirements established by Council Directive 90/385/EEC of 20 June 1990 on
active implantable medical devices (1). These requirements imply, amongst others, that the devices must be
designed and manufactured in such a way that, when implanted under the conditions and for the intended
purpose, their use does not compromise the clinical condition or the safety of patients. More specifically
pacemakers must be designed and manufactured in such a way as to remove or minimize, as far as
possible, risks connected with reasonably foreseeable environmental conditions, such as magnetic fields,
external electrical influences, electrostatic discharge, pressure or variations in pressure and acceleration.
Also, the manufacturer must provide an instruction leaflet allowing the physician to brief the patient on
contra-indications and precautions to be taken. These should cover, in particular, the precautions to be
taken as regards the risks of exposure mentioned above. This information is to be updated in the light of
new risks that may occur.

From research performed on this matter, the Commission understands that interference between mobile
phones and pacemakers can be avoided provided a distance of 20-30 cm from the pacemakers is ensured.

The Commission would expect relevant new information to be provided by physicians in their relations
with patients. In addition, national health care systems may have to provide information through the
various means at their disposal.

(1) OJ L 189, 20.7.1990.

(2004/C 84 E/0827)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3325/03

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Community expenditure

Will the Commission state what the total Community expenditure, throughout the EU, has been each year
for the last five years?

Will the Commission set out in a table the total public expenditure for each EU Member State for every
year for the last five years?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(6 January 2004)

The total outturn of Community payments including payments for ECSC, Euratom and the European

1.
Development Fund (EDF) is as follows:

Year

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

(million euros)

Amount

82 502,6

84 951,6

82 132,1

82 562,3

89 886,2

This data is drawn from Table 6 of the 2002 Financial Report (pp. 132-133 in the English version) and
apply only to the outturn of payments, which normally is of special interest for the Member States.

The said report was circulated among the members of the Budget Committee during the first week of
August 2003.