Public health: action plan to combat cancer 1996-2000

In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mr JosΘ Luis VALVERDE LOPEZ (PPE, E) on the action plan to combat cancer, the European Parliament felt that the Council's common position was too restrictive and proposed amending the proposal once again. Of the 19 amendments adopted, the most important aimed to: - re-establish the financial framework of ECU 64 million (as proposed by the Commission) rather than the ECU 59 million accepted by the Council; - restore the main objective of the programme which, as far as the EP was concerned, was to establish a cooperation network between the Commission and the national committees so that Community action could act as a catalyst for action in the Member States (the European Parliament also restored the programme's structure of five sections); - ensure greater coherence and clarification for the action plans combating tobacco, supporting cooperation between the public and private organisations combating cancer and giving greater consideration to the fact that elements such as the environment or poor dietary habits could increase the risk of developing cancer; - do away with the overly intergovernmental aspects of the programme (particularly as regards the implementation of the programme by the Member States) and ensure fair participation of the organisations working actively to prevent cancer and recognised experts in this sector (particularly within the programme's committee); - adopt preventive measures targeted at young people and children; - publicise the actions undertaken (the EP asked, in particularly, that it be regularly informed of the actions carried out). �