Public health: Community action programme 1997-2001 on health monitoring

While regretting that the Council had not fully taken over Parliament’s proposal to create a health observatory, the rapporteur acknowledged that the idea of its creation had been accepted in the form of a feasibility study on a permanent ‘monitoring’ structure. The Council had accepted the term ‘monitoring’ instead of ‘observatory’ because this formula did not seem to involve new financial constraints. As regards the programme’s funding (over a five-year period: 1998-2002), the difference of opinion between Parliament and Council was significant: the former advocated ECU 20 million, the latter ECU 13 million. The Council ultimately did not want to exceed ECU 13.8 million which corresponded to the Commission’s proposal. The Parliament delegation had agreed to this after noting the Commission’s commitment to introduce actions in the health sector, in the next statistical programme for 1998-2002, in order to strengthen the current programme. Parliament had in turn said that it was prepared to support this approach during the budgetary procedure. Commissioner Fischler confirmed that the Commission could achieve the objectives set out in this programme. It would also ensure that health statistics would be extended in the next statistical programme.