Public health and development: actions in the field of the AIDS in developing countries, 1997-1999 programme

In its common position the Council made certain changes to the text of the Commission proposal, notably: - the nature of the committee required to give an opinion on proposed measures: the Council agreed that this would be the relevant geographical committee (ALA, FED or MED) acting under the III(a) procedure (regulatory committee). It also stated that once a year there would be an exchange of views in a joint meeting of geographical committees on the general guidelines for measures to be carried out the following year; - duration of the regulation: unlike the Commission the Council thought that the regulation should apply for a limited period. It therefore limited it to three years (1997-1999) with a financial reference amount of ECU 45 m; - the Council also added a new article on assessment of measures (the assessments are to be made available to the Member States on request) and information for the committees on measures financed at various stages (before and after financing); - the Council stressed the complementarity of these measures with other development cooperation measures. Concerning Parliament's amendments, the Council retained the following: . taking account of the fact that AIDS is pandemic throughout the world and requires appropriate structural and multi-sectoral action; . details on the financial measures: addition of measures concerning improvement of the availability and use of means of protection (especially methods of transfusion and other forms of injection), better methods of protection against HIV/STD transmission (including better screening), technical support for local NGOs and local communities by means of networks to improve the effectiveness of efforts and information; encouragement of participation by local communities in sexual education; improvement of epidemiological surveillance; . definition of the agents of cooperation eligible for financial support: inclusion of local authorities, traditional social structures, local communities and the private sector; . details of the instruments to be employed in financing. All the other Parliament amendments were rejected by the Council. �