Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-09-10-Speech-1-170-000"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2012-09-10"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Voluntary and unpaid donation of tissues and cells (short presentation)2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20120910.25.1-170-000"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2012-09-10-Speech-1-171-0002
lpv:speaker	lp:John Dalli2
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, firstly, I would like to express my appreciation to Ms Yannakoudakis for the report on the voluntary and unpaid donation of tissues and cells. Another area that requires our attention is scientific and technical progress. Since the Tissues and Cells Directive was adopted, new testing methods, new storage techniques and new therapies have emerged. Such developments are being evaluated by the Commission in collaboration with the Member States. The Commission is also currently finalising the transposition check of the tissue and cells legislation and preparing a survey on its implementation in the Member States. The Commission will be pleased to share the results of the survey with Parliament by the end of next year. On the basis of the results of this survey, the Commission will consider the possible review of the Tissues and Cells Directive. Your report is very timely and will be a valuable support for the Commission in undertaking this task. The Commission welcomes this report. Tissue and cell transplants are of immense value to many patients. Such transplants represent a fast-evolving area of medicine and can make a real difference to people in terms of quality of life. The Commission will analyse in detail Parliament’s recommendations. In the meantime, let me assure you that the Commission acknowledges, and indeed shares, many of the concerns raised. I believe we all support the fact that the donation of tissues and cells is voluntary and unpaid. The issue of an adequate supply of tissues and cells to meet EU citizens’ medical needs is, as we know, an area of concern for many Member States. This is why I believe Member States need to strike the right balance so as to help improve the availability of tissues and cells without in any way compromising voluntary and unpaid donation. The donation of tissues and cells depends on public trust in our transplant systems. Your report highlights key elements to build and maintain that trust. A transparent and safe donation system is essential for public support. Ensuring traceability of donated material between donors and recipients is essential in order to guarantee the safety and quality of the transplanted tissues and cells. Ensuring adequate information for citizens looking for tissues and cells through banking services via the Internet is important to guarantee citizens’ safety. In addition, the report rightly highlights the need for Member States to share best practices so as to increase donations and foster international collaboration. European and international cooperation can bring much added value, in particular, in medical fields like stem cell transplantation, where finding the right match of cells for the right patient is difficult. Regarding stem cell transplantation, the Commission would like to thank Parliament for expressing its support for cord blood storage and use as an alternative source to bone marrow transplantation. It is important to ensure that good-quality cord blood samples are available for patients. In order to support Member States in their work, the Commission has already started to address some of the key issues that Parliament raises in this report. The Commission is developing tools to support traceability and vigilance at EU level. An EU code will be applicable to all tissues and cells exchanged between Member States as from 2014 and the communication platform for competent authorities’ rapid alerts for tissues and cells will be operational before the end of this year. Discussions with Member States are ongoing to define equivalent standards of safety and quality for tissues and cells imported from third countries. We plan to present a proposal on this issue by the end of next year. The Commission has also supported several projects fostering the sharing of best practices and providing training for tissues and cells authorities under the health programme. However, despite such progress, much work still needs to be done. Public awareness about cord blood donation and how to ensure availability and access to cord blood and bone marrow across the EU need careful consideration. Another issue that requires thorough reflection by Member States concerns the delicate balance between compensation and remuneration. The Tissues and Cells Directive stipulates that compensation must be strictly limited to making good the expenses and inconveniences related to the donation. It is up to the Member States to define such compensation, which may vary according to the specificities of the health care systems in the different Member States. Overall, the national application of the principle of voluntary and unpaid donation for tissues and cells therefore requires careful and judicious analysis within each and every Member State."@en1
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"John Dalli,"1 "Member of the Commission."1
lpv:videoURI	<go to Events_and_structure europarl>2

Named graphs describing this resource:

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph