14. We consider that the following raises questions of political importance,
but make no recommendation for its further consideration:--
Department of Health
(17674)
COM(96)581 |
(i) Commission Opinion on European Parliament's proposed amendments to Council Common
Position.
(ii) Re-examined draft Decision on a programme of Community action on health monitoring
in the field of public health (1997-2001). |
| Legal base: |
Articles 3(o) and 129; co-decision; qualified majority voting. |
Introduction
14.1 We considered that this draft Decision raised questions of political importance
when we cleared the amended text, following the European Parliament's first reading amendments, on
8 May 1996[19]. The Health Council on 14 May adopted a Common
Position on that text.
14.2 The Commission was unable to accept the Common Position, expressing reservations
which included:
-- the budget, which it believed was inadequate at 13 million ECU instead of the
13.8 million (£10.35 million)[20] originally proposed;
-- the Council's proposal for a "mixed" comitology procedure whereby
some matters would fall under the management committee's "management" competence and
others under its "advisory" competence;
-- replacement of the words "progressively harmonised data" in Recital
26, with a reference to the data being made "comparable"; and
-- the reference in Article 7(3) to proposals put forward by the Commission for
the continuation of the programme being based on evaluations which take account of reports drawn
up by the Member States. It considered that this stipulation might not be "desirable or
appropriate in relation to the right of initiative of the Commission."
The document
14.3 At its second reading on 23 October 1996, the European Parliament (EP) adopted
19 amendments to the Common Position. The Commission has accepted five in full and six in part.
It has not accepted the EP's amendment proposing a feasibility study on setting up a European Health
Observatory and has reservations about the budget proposed by the EP (20 million ECU (15 million)).
It can only partially accept an amendment on the collection of data, which in line with the Common
Position would be required to be "comparable" rather than "harmonised". On
this the Commission says:
"This is not desirable as most data currently are not comparable. We should not await
the production by Member States of comparable data in order to develop health indicators.
Furthermore, it is important to emphasise that the system includes the collection of health
data. Finally, the network may already be in existence and need therefore not be established
anew."
The Government's view
14.4 In his Explanatory Memorandum (dated 10 December 1996) the Minister of State
at the Department of Health (Mr Malone) says:
"The Government welcomes the proposed co-operation with and between Member States in
the exchange of information which this initiative would promote. It also welcomes the co-ordination
of this programme with other Community programmes and with other international programmes which will
help to avoid duplication of effort and waste or resources. The programme offers a means by which
Member States can evaluate the impact of Community actions in the field of public health. However,
to avoid unnecessary burdens on Member States and to make action under the programme cost-effective,
the Government could not accept amendments which seek to impose harmonisation of data on Member
States rather than improving comparability of already available data.
"The total budget proposed for 1997-2001 is 13.8 million ECU (£10.35 million),
at a rate rising from 2.3 million ECU in 1997 to 3.3 million ECU in 2001. The cost to the UK over
the five years 1997 -2001 is likely to be about £1.51 million. The Government will need to
consider the proposed action in the light of the total budget available for public health actions
during the period in question.
"The Council met on 12 November and maintained its Common Position. A meeting of the
Conciliation Committee has now to be convened."
Conclusion
14.5 Given recent high profile concerns about health monitoring and the
dissemination of information, and the generally acknowledged need for better co-ordination of
Community activities, there is clearly a case for this programme to begin without further delay.
As it is now some months since Common Position was adopted in May, we trust that a meeting of the
Conciliation Committee will be convened shortly. We are clearing the document, but expect the
Government to inform us of any substantial change, in the usual way.
19.(17147)--; see HC 51-xviii (1995-96), paragraph 9. Back
20.1 ECU = £0.7507. Back
|
