A NORTH West MEP is supporting moves which aim to allow supplies of blood from across Europe to be rushed to the area in the event of a major catastrophe.

Chris Davies says that rules recently approved by the European Parliamanet could be of vital importance in helping local hospitals to save lives after a multi-casualty disaster.

Although the attack on the World Trade Center has raised awareness of the need to prepare for major emergencies, the measures were originally put forward by the European Commission in response to calls from several countries for Europe to become self-sufficient in blood products.

Blood is currently in short supply across the whole of the EU, fuelling fears that hospitals could struggle to cope with major disasters. In Britain, only 1.8 million people a year donate blood, and around 50 per cent of the plasma used in Europe is currently imported from the US.

The new rules will ease the movement of blood between EU countries by guaranteeing common quality and safety levels. They will also introduce standard requirements for the collection of blood, and comparable national inspection and training procedures.

Mr Davies, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on the European Parliament's public health committee, says the new rules will also give people greater protection when travelling abroad.