Public health: Community action programme on health promotion, information, education and training 1996-2000

In its common position, the Council made various amendments to the presentation of this proposal and introduced more specific amendments concerning, in particular: - the establishment of the programme: the general objective of this programme was clarified. It aimed specifically to contribute towards ensuring a high level of health protection and comprised actions aimed at: . encouraging the "health promotion" approach in Member States' health policies, . encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles, . promoting awareness of risk factors, . encouraging intersectoral approaches to health promotion, especially for disadvantaged groups. The Council amended in particular the order of the sections in the annex and indicated the specific objective for each one (health promotion strategies and structures, specific prevention and health promotion measures, health information, health education, and vocational training in public health and health promotion). Finally, it withdrew or amended certain actions, particularly in the field of health education (no direct inclusion of health education in school curricula, only promotion of exchanges of experience), certain actions directed at target groups (the elderly, disadvantaged groups) or specific actions (e.g. promotion of physical exercise); - implementation: the Council stipulated that the programme would be implemented from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 2000. It defined more clearly the respective roles and contributions of the various actors participating in the implementation of the programme (particularly the Member States); - comitology: it provided for more active participation of the Member States in certain important decisions concerning the programme by establishing a mixed procedure: a management committee procedure for the important decisions and an advisory committee for other decisions (in accordance with the interinstitutional "modus vivendi"); - the programme's budget: the Council set out the scope of the financial support for the programme. The total allocations set aside for the programme amounted to ECU 30 million (instead of the ECU 35 million proposed by the Commission for a Community of 12 Member States); - consistency and complementarity: the Council clearly highlighted the importance of ensuring that there was complementarity between this programme and the relevant actions under the Community's education and training programmes (Socrates and Leonardo) and research programme (Biomed II); - with regard to monitoring and evaluation, the Council provided for fewer regular reports than had been proposed by the Commission or the EP but did not do away with the interim and final reports to be submitted to these institutions. �