Public health: prevention of AIDS and other communicable diseases, Community action programme 1996-2000

The rapporteur, Mr MAMERE, explained that all of the amendments of the Committee of the Environment were important. In particular, Amendments Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 sought to enhance the coordinating role of the European Union, and the Commission in particular. Amendments Nos 5 and 10 emphasised the essential role of non-governmental organisations and patients’ associations in assisting persons carrying the HIV virus and AIDS sufferers and in providing information. Amendment No 11 related to the measures required to ensure the reliability of blood products. Amendment No 13 proposed the establishment of a code of good conduct for clinical trials. Finally, Amendment No 12 underlined the vital importance of promoting the use of condoms and single-use syringes for drug addicts in fighting the spread of the disease. According to Mr Flynn, the Commission was prepared to take over the amendments that improved the text of the common position, including Amendments Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 13. Amendments Nos 12, 14 and 17 on the promotion and sale of condoms could be taken over in the form of a reference to this matter in the text of the programme. However, Amendments Nos 8 and 9, which provided for a mixed committee established by the Council to assist the Commission in implementing the programme could not be taken over for budgetary reasons. Amendment No 11, which laid down measures for the safety of blood and blood products would be better dealt with in other Community instruments. Finally, Amendments Nos 15, 16 and 18 were rejected because they were not relevant to this legislative field.