WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1793/97 by Heidi HAUTALA to the Commission. Health risks of silicone implants (SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER)
11. 3. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 76/55 (98/C 76/137) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1778/97 by Angela Sierra Gonza·lez (GUE/NGL), Laura Gonza·lez A· lvarez (GUE/NGL), Mar ·a Sornosa Mart ·nez (GUE/NGL) and Carlos Carnero Gonza·lez (GUE/NGL) to the Council (27 May 1997) Subject: Negotiations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Saharauri Arab Republic At the end of April 1997 Mr Baker, the UN Secretary-Generalís envoy to the Western Sahara, made a tour of North Africa in order to assess the future development of the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front. In connection with this tour the Polisario Front released 85 Moroccan prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. What action is the Council planning to take in order to rescue the peace plan, to induce the conflicting parties to engage in serious negotiations, to allow a referendum to be held on self-determination for the Sahauri people and to ensure that Morocco respects human rights in the occupied areas and releases the 600 Sahauris who are considered to have ádisappearedí? Answer (25 September 1997) The Council welcomes the exploratory mission to the region that the UN Secretary-General Personal Envoy James Baker undertook from 23 to 28 April. It also welcomes the report of the UN Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara of 5 May and the adoption of the Security Council Resolution 1108(97) on 22 May extending the mandate of Minurso until 30 September 1997. The Council continues to support the efforts aimed at holding a free, fair and impartial referendum for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the Settlement Plan agreed between the two parties and approved by the United Nations Security Council. The Council fully supports the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in their efforts to achieve a just and equitable solution to this dispute. In that context the Council welcomes the preliminary negotiations held in London on 11 and 12 June 1997, which enabled an initial round of direct talks to be held between the two sides in Lisbon on 23 and 24 June 1997. The Council urges the parties to cooperate with the Personal Envoy and looks forward to the Secretary-Generalís recommendations. (98/C 76/138) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1793/97 by Heidi Hautala (V) to the Commission (16 May 1997) Subject: Health risks of silicone implants According to recent research silicone implants, generally inserted to increase the size of womenís breasts, may leak silicone into the body, which can result in very serious damage to health. Silicone is also thought to migrate to the foetus in pregnant women, with serious consequences. In the USA a number of court cases with far-reaching implications are under way against the manufacturers of silicone implants, which may result in the authorities banning such implants. Is the Commission aware of the serious damage to health caused by silicone, and in particular of the claims that silicone may migrate to other parts of the body and to the foetus? Is the Commission considering measures to tighten the product liability of silicone implant manufacturers? Does the Commission intend to ban them?