Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-05-13-Speech-2-133"
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"en.20030513.6.2-133"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, on 7 May, a Commissioner who is not present in the House today – and I regret that because, for once, I would have liked to congratulate a Commissioner – said: as regards the prevention of animal epidemics we have developed a cutting-edge system, creating a Committee of Veterinary Experts which lays down the law for every Member State, whereas, when it comes to human health, we have no say on the matter. I reiterate, we have no say on the matter. Incidentally, thus far, the Commission has had no say on the matter in this House either.
This absurd situation does, however, reflect the times in which we live. I agree with some of the points made by Mr Mussa just now, but we must bear in mind that you, Antonio, are calling – like of many of us, moreover – for structural reforms, reform of nosocomial, hospital and even scientific structures. Structural reforms need to be first adopted by vote, desired and then implemented; then come the bribes and all the rest of it. In any case, we must have guidelines.
Today, however, there is an aspect which, as far as our area is concerned, is related to trade privileges, which sometimes play the role here which political and system interests play in the communist states, in the totalitarian – let us call them communist – states. (There are some minor fascist, nazi variations but the essence is the same). In actual fact, we have a situation of impending rampant zoonosis: in other words, diseases can be transmitted from animal to human being. Public health in Europe – here in our own countries – is under ever-increasing, extremely serious threat, for the world is becoming increasingly globalised and there are an increasing number of densely populated areas. Now, and I quote, Europe has been suffering for many months from orthomyxovirus strains causing – I repeat, which are currently causing, in other words this is happening right now, President-in-Office of the Council – extremely dangerous centres of avian influenza. Here in Europe, there are currently a number of extremely dangerous centres of avian influenza, the danger of which is often played down. Why is that? So as not to block the huge flows
of foodstuffs exports. The introduction of a vaccination would, of course, affect the export of these foodstuffs. We therefore chose to stamp out the disease instead, culling entire farm herds – 25 million head were destroyed in Holland and Belgium alone! It is true that these animals cost us a dollar a day – money which we do not give the world or even our unemployed in some cases – but it is also true that the culling is subsidised.
We are therefore in a situation where we lack specific knowledge – even after some, after many years, I am still not at all sure what the difference is between HIV and AIDS. All we can say is that infection experts fear an explosion in the autumn over and above the usual seasonal variation. I would point out that 600 000 died in Italy from Spanish influenza alone – as many as in a major world war. Take heed! This is not Europe – it is an absence of Europe."@en1
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