Council conclusions of 5 June 2001 on the epidemiological situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) and a proactive strategy on zoonoses, in particular transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) - Main contents

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Council conclusions of 5 June 2001 on the epidemiological situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) and a proactive strategy on zoonoses, in particular transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)

Official Journal C 175 , 20/06/2001 P. 0002 - 0004

Council conclusions

of 5 June 2001

on the epidemiological situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) and a proactive strategy on zoonoses, in particular transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)

(2001/C 175/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

• 1. 

  CONSIDERING that a significant increase of reported food-borne diseases of zoonotic origin, including both emerging and re-emerging diseases, has been recorded in most Member States during the last decades;

• 2. 

  CONSIDERING that vCJD is a disease that is always fatal and also affects younger people;

• 3. 

  STRESSING that a high level of human health protection is to be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities;

• 4. 

  RECALLING the communication from the Commission on the health strategy of the European Community, in which the need to properly link actions in the framework of public health with health-related initiatives in other policy areas is emphasised, and in which the Commission declares its intention to establish mechanisms to ensure that policies and activities contribute to health protection, as well as the Commission proposal for a public health programme;

• 5. 

  RECALLING the conclusions of the European Council in Nice on 7 to 9 December 2000, which take note of the measures already taken in order to combat BSE and emphasise that more intense efforts in the field of human medicine and veterinary research are essential if the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this disease are to be guaranteed;

• 6. 

  REAFFIRMING its wish, expressed in the Council conclusions of 14 December 2000 on BSE and the epidemiological situation of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob, to develop efforts to identify the consequences for human health of the BSE epidemic;

• 7. 

  RECALLING Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and the Council setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and the control of communicable diseases in the Community, including food-borne diseases, such as vCJD, and other diseases transmissible by non-conventional agents;

• 8. 

  WELCOMING the comprehensive inventory of European research on TSEs presented by a group of leading experts established by the Commission, which addresses strengths and weaknesses of European research in this field as a basis for identifying major issues for further research efforts;

• 9. 

  RECALLING that the Commission's proposal for the sixth framework programme 2000 to 2006 for research, technological development and demonstration activities sets out food safety and health risks as a priority area, including research on methods of analysis and detection of chemical contaminants and pathogenic micro-organisms, impact of animal feed, and the use of subproducts of different origins for that feed, on human health, and the epidemiology of food-related diseases and genetic susceptibilities;

• 10. 

  RECALLING Commission Directives 1999/82/EC and 1999/104/EC changing the Annexes to Directives 75/318/EEC and 81/852/EEC with the aim to minimise the risks for transmission of TSE through medicinal products (including natural remedies and homeopathics) for human and veterinary use, Directive 76/768/EEC on cosmetic products, Directive 93/42/EEC on medical devices and Council Recommendation 98/463/EC establishing the acceptance criteria for blood and plasma donors;

• 11. 

  RECALLING the Commission's proposal for a directive setting standards of quality and safety for the collection, testing, processing, storage, and distribution of human blood and blood...

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