Health and social policy: participation of Hungary in the Community programmes

OBJECTIVE: as part of the pre-accession strategy, the opening of certain Community programmes in the field of health and social policy to Hungary for the period 1998 to 2000. SUBSTANCE: the proposal for a decision of the EC-Hungary Association Council establishes the conditions and arrangements for the participation of this country in several Community programmes in the field of health and social policy: health promotion, combating cancer, the prevention of aids and other communicable diseases, drug dependence and the equal opportunities programme. In particular Hungary will: - take part in all the activities of these programmes on the same terms as the Member States and in accordance with the objectives, criteria and procedures laid down by these programmes; - apply as far as possible the same conditions and arrangements for submission, assessment and selection of applications as those which apply in the Member States; - provide for a minimum number of partners from the Member States for all the proposed transnational activities and projects; - make a financial contribution to the Community's budget by virtue of its participation in these various programmes. This contribution will cover the financial aid granted to Humgarian participants in relation to their participation in the programmes and the supplementary costs of an administrative nature related to the management of the programmes by the Commission. This contribution will vary depending on the programme and is paid annually. The Community will pay part of this contribution by taking the sums needed from the annual funding for Phare/Hungary. The Phare contribution will not however cover the equivalent of the administrative sums relating to the management of the programmes by the Commission, which will remain entirely the responsibility of the Hungarian national budget. In total this financial contribution will amount to ECU 1 699 530 for the three years under consideration (of which ECU 794 172 under Phare). Hungary will be associated with the monitoring of its participation in the programmes concerned in preparation for the Community decision-making process on accession (in particular by participation in the coordination meetings prior to the meetings of the programme committees and by being informed about the results). The participation of Hungary will be valid for the duration of the programmes (i.e. until 31 December 2000). �