WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3282/98 by Gary TITLEY to the Commission. EU funding for immunisation programmes
C 142/94 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 5. 1999 Will the Commission take the initiative to develop such a comprehensive strategy, bearing in mind that climate change is likely to increase the risk of fires in the Mediterranean? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (27 November 1998) For several years the Commission has been supporting the Member States in the fight against forest fires. In the southerly Member States, in particular, self-training workshops have been held which enable experience to the exchanged and, since 1996, there has been a system enabling experts to be exchanged; Moreover, a system enabling information on risk levels to be exchanged between Member States every summer has been set up with Commission support. The Commission was able to further the expansion of mutual aid between Member States in the event of forest fires when, in 1994, it was possible, thanks to its support, to finalise an administrative agreement on the common use of airborne fire-fighting equipment between Italy and France. As part of the Community’s current action programme on civil defence the Commission is prepared to provide additional support and to back-up any action enabling that mutual cooperation among the Member States to be improved in order to boost its effectiveness and reduce the impact of those disasters. (1999/C 142/114) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3152/98 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission (19 October 1998) Subject: Eradication of polio In 1998 the World Health Organization launched an initiative to eradicate polio by the year 2000. Although there has been a 90 % reduction in the number of cases of polio the ultimate target is still to be reached. Will the Commission therefore set out its approach to tackling polio in the developing world, and indicate what financial commitments it has so far made towards solving this problem? (1999/C 142/115) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3282/98 by Gary Titley (PSE) to the Commission (26 October 1998) Subject: EU funding for immunisation programmes How much money does the EU currently spend on programmes of immunisation against diseases such as polio in Europe and the rest of the world? Does the EU have any plans to increase its funding of polio immunisation to help achieve the aim of the 1990 World Summit on Children to eradicate polio by the year 2000?