9 Health for Growth Programme
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16796/11
+ ADDs 1-2
COM(11) 709
| Draft Regulation establishing a Health for Growth Programme, the third multiannual programme of EU action in the field of health for the period 2014-20
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| Legal base | Article 168(5) TFEU; co-decision; QMV
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| Department | Health
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| Basis of consideration | Minister's letter of 8 May 2013
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| Previous Committee Reports | HC 86-xx (2012-13), chapter 9 (21 November 2012);
HC 86-iv (2012-13), chapter 10 (14 June 2012);
HC 428-li (2010-12), chapter 7 (22 February 2012);
HC 428-xlviii (2010-12), chapter 13 (25 January 2012); HC 428-xlv (2010-12), chapter 5 (20 December 2011)
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| Discussion in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information requested
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Background and previous scrutiny
9.1 The draft Regulation would establish the Health for Growth
Programme with a proposed budget of €446 million for the
period 2014-20 to support a variety of actions in the public health
field which encourage innovation in healthcare, increase the sustainability
of healthcare systems, improve the health of EU citizens and protect
against cross-border health threats.
9.2 The Government broadly supports the Programme
but has expressed concern about the size of the budget and the
shift in focus from public health and prevention measures to healthcare
systems. It told us that UK stakeholders shared the latter concern,
questioned the disproportionate emphasis placed on the economic
dimension of investing in health, and highlighted the need for
continuity with the current Health Programme in areas such as
health information and health inequalities. Our earlier Reports[51]
provide a more detailed overview of the draft Regulation and the
Government's position.
9.3 In June 2012, the Government informed us
that there was the prospect of agreement to a "partial general
approach" on all aspects of the draft Regulation except the
budget at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
(EPSCO) Council and requested a scrutiny waiver. The Government
indicated that the partial general approach met all of the UK's
negotiating objectives, but highlighted one outstanding issue
which concerned the Commission's proposal to allow a higher rate
of EU co-financing (up to 80% of eligible costs instead of 60%)
for poorer Member States. The Government underlined the importance
of the co-financing principle as a means of ensuring "ownership"
of programmes, sound financial management and value for money
and suggested that the UK and some other Member States would oppose
any erosion of the principle or of current co-financing arrangements.
9.4 We agreed with the Government's assessment
that the changes to the Commission's original proposal better
reflected the division of competences between the EU and Member
States, with EU action complementing and supporting national policies
and focussing primarily on public health, disease prevention and
cross-border health threats. We noted that the Government was
content with the overall framework for the new Programme and we
accepted that the proposed partial general approach should not
prejudice discussions on the size of the Programme budget. We
were therefore willing to grant a scrutiny waiver to enable the
Government to support the partial general approach at the June
EPSCO Council. Since then, informal "trialogues" have
taken place between the European Parliament, Council and Commission
with a view to achieving a first reading agreement and final adoption
of the draft Regulation before the end of 2013.
The Minister's letter of 8 May 2013
9.5 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health
(Anna Soubry), tells us that trialogue discussions "have
led to a significant refinement of the text, with agreement achieved
on many issues". One area of agreement is to amend the description
of the new programme for 2014-20 in a way that underlines its
continuity with previous programmes. It will therefore be referred
to as "The third Programme of the Union's action in the
field of health (2014-20)" rather than Health for
Growth.
9.6 Whilst the Irish Presidency hopes to secure
a first reading agreement before July, the Minister explains that
two issues remain outstanding. First, the UK and some other Member
States question whether poorer Member States should be offered
a higher co-financing rate than their more affluent counterparts
and consider that there is little justification for applying differential
co-financing rates. The Commission has been asked to develop
an alternative proposal that would be acceptable to the Council
and the European Parliament. Second, the question of whether
to include funding related to the misuse of drugs within the new
Health or Justice Programmes has yet to be resolved.
9.7 Even if an agreement is reached on these
issues before the end of the Irish Presidency, the Minister notes
that the European Parliament has indicated its unwillingness to
seal agreement on any sectoral funding programmes (including the
Health Programme) until horizontal issues, such as the number
and scope of delegated acts and the size of the Programme budgets,
have been settled.
Conclusion
9.8 We thank the Minister for providing an
update on the progress made in "trialogue" discussions
and for highlighting the remaining areas of contention. We look
forward to hearing how these are resolved and what impact the
outcome of negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework
for 2014-20 will have on the size of the budget for the new Health
Programme. Meanwhile, the draft Regulation remains under scrutiny.
51 See head note. Back
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