WRITTEN QUESTION E-3554/03 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Development of artificial viruses and bacteria in America and possible resultant neglect of environmental protection in Europe.
Date: 2003-12-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United States, bio-ethics, cytology, environmental protection, environmental risk prevention, genetic engineering, genetically modified organism, health risk, public health

C 78 E/586

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

In letter of 3 December 2003 to Mr Papadopoulos and Mr Denktash, United Nations Secretary-General
Annan urged the two leaders to invite their respective members of the CMP to resume formal meeting in
order to reactivate the work of the Committee.

As for Turkey, the Commission has repeatedly indicated to Turkey the need to use its influence over the
Turkish Cypriot leadership to find a comprehensive settlement. After the formation of a new ‘government’
in the north under opposition leader Mr Talat there is a window of opportunity to reach a settlement on
the basis of the Annan plan in the coming months. In the event of a settlement based on the Annan plan,
the question mentioned by the Honourable Member will be solved on the basis of the relevant provisions.

(2004/C 78 E/0620)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3554/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(1 December 2003)

Subject: Development of artificial viruses and bacteria in America and possible resultant neglect of

environmental protection in Europe

1.
Is the Commission aware that, since 1999, genetic engineer Craig Venter and his Institute for
Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA), which receives USD 3 million per annum in subsidy from the US
Government, have been developing artificial viruses?

2.
Is the Commission aware that this research has now yielded a living product named PhiX174, which
consists of 5 386 base pairs coding for nine proteins, and that in addition an artificial bacterium consisting
of 580 000 base pairs, with 470 proteins, is still at the development stage?

3.
Is the Commission furthermore aware that (cid:1) unlike the artificial polio virus presented in New York
last year (cid:1) PhiX174 is capable of penetrating bacteria, modifying them and reproducing with their
assistance, just like natural viruses?

4.
Is the Commission aware of the press conference of 13 November 2003 in Rockville, Maryland, at
which the US Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, announced that such manmade micro-organisms will
soon bring about revolutionary changes in environmental protection?

How will the Commission help to prevent EU Member States and regions or localities within them
5.
from neglecting their environmental protection responsibilities in the hope that a future panacea will
devour and clean up all previous pollution, including even radioactive waste?

Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 15 November 2003.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(21 January 2004)

The Commission is aware of PhiX 174. This matter is addressed in detail in the Commission’s
1. and 2.
reply to the written question E-3555/03 (1) by the Honourable Member. It is to be noted that the virus to
which the Honourable Member refers in his written question is not an artificial virus.

As noted under point 1, PhiX 174 is not an artificial organism but a virus of the genus Microvirus

3.
and family Microviridiae.

4.
Yes. In his vision of the future, the United States’ Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, gave as
examples microbes that could remove pollution from the emissions of power plants, or reduce water
pollution and the toxic effects of radioactive waste.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/587

The Commission will continue to ensure that Member States respect their commitments to Union

5.
environmental legislation, irrespective of any hypothetical future technological possibilities

(1) See page 587.

(2004/C 78 E/0621)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3555/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(1 December 2003)

Subject: Development of artificial viruses and bacteria in America and its impact on biodiversity and

biological warfare in Europe

1.
On account of the impact of PhiX174 and other artificial products of the American Ibea research
project referred to in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 15 November 2003, could existing plants and
animals be replaced by others? Could existing living beings lose their resistance to new diseases and could
other uncontrollable changes occur in nature, which would be comparable with the rabbit plague
unleashed by colonists in Australia or the spread and escape of American muskrats in the Netherlands,
where they are now constantly undermining dykes?

2.
Is the Commission bearing in mind the possibility that, as a result of such experiments, species of
animal may come into existence which are aggressive towards people and can spread diseases or render
food and drinking water unsuitable for human and animal consumption?

Do international agreements on biological warfare afford a guarantee that such artificial organisms

3.
will never deliberately be used to make people ill or exterminate them in an area classified as hostile?

Does the Commission agree that it may be a very long time before it becomes clear whether such

4.
inventions as those developed by Ibea are a blessing or a curse for humanity and the world?

5.
Is the Commission considering measures to provisionally prevent imports of artificial life into Europe
(cid:1) until such time as the consequences are known (cid:1) and provisionally isolate all new products created as a
result of research?

6. What else will the Commission do to prevent uncontrollable or malicious dissemination of artificial
viruses and artificially altered bacteria in Europe?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2004)

It is inherent to nature and its evolution that existing plants and animals can be replaced by others, that
existing living beings can lose their resistance to diseases (or other stressors), that they may have no
resistance to new or imported diseases or threats. Evolutions and variations in the climate, migrations of
people, natural disasters, emerging natural (i.e. non man-made) diseases, spontaneous genetic mutations,
etc. alter the conditions of competition between species and can result in major shifts such as the complete
disappearance of species and changes in the floristic or faunistic composition of environments. One can
thus never exclude that uncontrollable changes occur in nature, comparable to the ones listed by the
Honourable Member.

However, such changes can not be put on the account of PhiX174. The PhiX174 virus is a bacteriophage
and as such, a natural parasite of Escherichia coli. The genetic identity of the virus has long been known.
The scientists have not newly created this virus. Its genome has rather been synthesized in vitro and has
been re-assembled, which means that the synthesised genome is identical to the natural one. In fact, the
resulting virus is indistinguishable from its natural counterpart.