Public health: Community action programme 2003-2008

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on the Community action programme in the field of public health. The agreement reached provides for: - a budget of EUR 312 million plus a Commission declaration on the revision of the financial framework (in the context both of the accession of new Member States and the preparation for the revision of the financial perspective, taking account of the establishment of the structural arrangements); - a Commission declaration on the structural arrangements to be set up, including the management and advisory committee, the operation of the Commission's departments, the scientific and technical experts, and the possibility of setting up an executive agency ; - important clarifications of "objectives", "actions" and "activities"; and - improvements on technical issues, including the transmission of an evaulation report to the EP, strategies in order to counter health threats in emergency situations (including terrorist acts), exchange of information on quality standards, diseases and vaccination, collection and analysis of comparable data at Community level, coordination between the Member States and the Community and cooperation with third countries and international organisations.�