Public health: Community action programme 1999-2003 concerning rare diseases

Commissioner Flynn considered that there was much the Community could offer in this area. Individual cases could be aggregated to form a larger group sharing the same characteristics which would provide the opportunity to undertake a wider range of interventions and to initiate coordinated actions with respect to patients who might otherwise be isolated. The Commissioner accepted 16 amendments out of the 29 tabled, either in their entirety – Nos 3, 5 and 22 – or partially – Nos 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16, 17, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28. However, the following amendments were not acceptable: Nos 6, 10, 20 and 21 (for legal reasons), Nos 4, 11, 13, 15, 24 and 29 (superfluous), No 18 (outside the scope of the programme), and Nos 14 and 19 (for budgetary reasons). Mr Flynn pointed out that the current financial perspectives did not allow for the sum requested by Parliament as the figure of ECU 1.3 million per year could not be exceeded.