Debate on the Zika virus outbreak&nbsp;during the EP Plenary session (7-10 March) in Strasbourg. Statements by Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT), Jonathan HILL, Member of the EC in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK (EPP, NL), Matthias GROOTE (S&amp;D, DE), Jos&eacute; In&aacute;cio FARIA (ALDE, PT) and Martin HAUSLING (Greens/EFA, DE)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Annie (EPP, NL)

LA VIA, Giovanni (EPP, IT)

Zika virus outbreak (T)

FARIA, José Inácio (EPP, PT)

HILL, Jonathan (UK)

GROOTE, Matthias (S&D, DE)

HÄUSLING, Martin (Greens/EFA, DE)

Zika virus outbreak: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT), Author, Does the Commission intend to undertake measures to prevent the spread of the virus in EU territory? And have they already put in place measures to tackle an emergency situation if that arises in Europe too?

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giovanni LA VIA (EPP, IT), Author, Does the Commission believe that insecticides should be used and whether sterilisation of mosquitos should be engaged in to prevent them from reproducing? Using the sterile male technique? Does the Commission believe that the 10 million euros available to tackle the challenge is commensurate to the scientific challenge posed by the virus and its neurological complications? And the need to vile up diagnostic tests of vaccine and treatment for the disease? We know that a task force of specialised experts has been organised to provide to scientific and regulatory impetus for pharamceutical companies to develop vaccines against the disease. How far has the vaccine study process got, could I ask the Commission?

SOUNDBITE (English), Jonathan HILL, Member of the EC in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, It is likely that more infections will occur in Europe. We must be prepared for local transmission of Zika, as temperatures rise, building on our experience in controlling the spread of mosquitos which has been brought together by the ECDC (The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control).

SOUNDBITE (English), Jonathan HILL, Member of the EC in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, As regards surveillance of the epidemic we are on track and we are working with member states to enforce laboratory capabilities for early detection and diagnoses based on the ECDC risk assessments.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jonathan HILL, Member of the EC in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, We are making available an additional 10 million euros of emergency research funding for Zika related research. And these are only the first steps in our response.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jonathan HILL, Member of the EC in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, The coming spring and summer mosquitos may pose a danger for the introduction of the virus in Europe so we need effective vector control measures. Let me assure you that the Commission is ready to address all aspects of the Zika virus challenge and is ready to deploy all available instruments and means to this end.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Annie SCHREIJER-PIERIK (EPP, NL), In Europe alone 5 million women get pregnant and hundreds of million of women around the world. They're expecting a vaccine to be developed. So we call on you to make sure there's more research, to make sure we can have preventative measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

SOUNDBITE (German), Matthias GROOTE (S&amp;D, DE), What's the situation in the Member States? There are some regions of the EU which are located in the crisis region, what is happening in terms of transmission of the disease there and what's being done by way of prevention in those regions where the EU has final responsibility?

SOUNDBITE (English), Julie GIRLING (ECR, UK), I was quite surprised to find that actually Zika has been around quite a long time. What is new is the rapid spread. So it is surprising in fact that we have so little information about how it is spreading and indeed so little inroads into research, into preventing that, into a vaccination, etc. So I am delighted to hear that we are going to be speeding that process up. So my question really is, how will this ongoing information, and we have heard the word that it is going to be done and I am sure that we are going to hear more, how this is going to be transmitted to the parliament?

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Jos&#233; In&#225;cio FARIA (ALDE, PT), Fortunately the disease is not yet very widespread in Europe, but with the spring and summer there's going to be greater risk of infection in Europe. The Aedes aegypti (type of mosquito, vector for transmitting several tropical fevers icluiding Zika) is present in Portugal, particulary in the Madeira region, there there's a very high risk. So we need to act more quickly and more effectively.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin H&#196;USLING (Greens/EFA, DE), Is 10 millio euro really enough? We need more and we need common measures, we need all Member States coming together to make sure we actually achieve something.