Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-05-13-Speech-2-131"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-05-13"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030513.6.2-131"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-05-13-Speech-2-1322
lpv:speaker	lp:Erik Meijer2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Socialistische Partij (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member_of_the_bureau; EUL/NGL (1999-10-13--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Czech Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, people cannot be vaccinated against new diseases in advance. They can also not be healed with medicines afterwards. There are only three ways of limiting the consequences. The first is to limit the chance of infection. The second is to reinforce and accelerate scientific research into preventing and fighting such diseases. The third is to offer help to those with the disease so as to increase their chances of survival. In the fight against the advance of SARS, only this third opportunity is being paid full attention. Hospitals are being prepared to ensure that they have quarantine rooms and breathing equipment available. It is a good thing that we are already taking on board the possibility that this infection could gain a significant foothold in Europe, but it looks as if this is as far as we are going. The second method is not being given much thought. In the past, various Member States of the European Union have cut back on scientific research into new diseases. Today’s experts are interested volunteers who have been taken away from other medical and biological research. That must change if we are to be able to effectively fight and eradicate new diseases in the short term. Our biggest shortcomings relate to the first method; containing the spread on a global scale. People from South-East Asia can quickly export SARS over great distances because of international air travel. Checks on incoming traffic at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, Europe’s fifth biggest airport, seem to be minimal. Passengers arriving from South-East Asia are allowed to just pass straight through. It is actually a miracle that more people have not been infected in Europe. Following a declaration by the European Commission, I asked on 7 April for action to be taken against the risks posed by incoming air traffic, involving a previously announced compulsory period of quarantine for people at risk of infection if necessary. I am surprised that on 6 May, after consultation with the World Health Organisation, the Council decided not to do this and to rely instead on checks in the country of departure and written declarations by interested parties. Let us avoid a situation in which we find out afterwards that we failed seriously in our attempts to keep this disease out of our countries, and let us be pleased with our free press which, unlike in China, informed us in good time."@en1

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