Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-13-Speech-4-038"
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"en.20030213.3.4-038"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it was in 1998 that the Committee on Petitions received two petitions with a total of over 1 000 signatures, which, as Mrs Stihler has said, were those of women concerned about this issue or who had themselves suffered, and who asked Europe to consider the problems presented by breast implants, especially those made of silicon.
The Committee on Petitions, with its ear open to the public, reacted at that time by asking STOA to carry out an independent and intensive study of implants. Following this, it organised a hearing that attracted wide media coverage, and, as rapporteur, I was entrusted with the task of drafting a resolution, which Parliament adopted unanimously on 13 June 2001.
It will therefore be evident that our vote today on a communication dealing with Community and national provisions on breast implants is a matter of twofold satisfaction to me; firstly, because it gives recognition to the action taken by the Committee on Petitions, which was the true initiator of this communication, and then because Mrs Stihler's excellent work takes up and gives added weight to almost all the proposals made in the June 2001 resolution, especially as regards advertising, the information required to be given to patients, the guarantee of the implants' high quality, research, the responsibilities placed not only on manufacturers, but also on surgeons and clinics, as well as the invitation extended to the Member States to maintain national registers and to make provision for a consent form.
My only regret is that the idea of issuing a passport to the patients was not retained in the initial report, and it is for that reason that I will be supporting Amendment No 3 to paragraph 10 (ii), resubmitted on behalf of the Group of the Party of European Socialists, which aims to reintroduce such a passport.
Although some may object that this is just one more piece of paper, I consider it an effective way to replenish the future European database. Moreover, such a system would, above all, allow the patient to have real knowledge of the implant's specific characteristics.
Let me conclude by saying that I rejoice to be able to vote on this resolution, which itself demonstrates how well the Commission and our Parliamentary committees can work together to meet the expectations of Europe's citizens. It demonstrates that the Committee on Petitions, which the public tends to use as a means of bringing to light the Community system's failings, can also play its part in developing creative and positive Community initiatives. It is also a way in which we can show the petitioners that we do indeed honour our commitments."@en1
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