Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001403/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Christine Anderson (ESN)
Multiple Western intelligence sources and legislative bodies have revived the theory that COVID-19 may have originated from a laboratory incident in China.
– The US Central Intelligence Agency now considers a lab leak to be a plausible origin, though with low confidence.
– In 2020, Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service reportedly assessed that there was an 80–90 % likelihood of an accidental lab leak.
– A 2024 US Congressional report concluded that the virus ‘likely emerged due to a laboratory or research-related mishap’, further revealing that gain-of-function research funded by the National Institute of Health was conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology prior to the outbreak.
Although no scientific consensus has emerged so far, these developments raise serious questions about biosafety, research funding oversight and international accountability.
In this context, I seek clarification on the following points:
- 1.Has the Commission reviewed or reassessed its position on the origins of COVID-19 in light of recent intelligence findings by US and German authorities?
- 2.Has any EU-funded research directly or indirectly supported the Wuhan Institute of Virology or other institutions engaged in high-risk virological work prior to the pandemic?
- 3.What measures is the Commission taking to ensure greater transparency, traceability and safety in EU-funded research involving gain-of-function or dual-use biological experiments, both within the EU and internationally?
Submitted: 7.4.2025