19 Health for Growth Programme
| (33360)
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 30 October 2013
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| Previous Committee Reports
| HC 83-iii (2013-14), chapter 9 (21 May 2013);
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
| Formal adoption expected in November
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| Committee's assessment
| Politically important
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| Committee's decision
| Cleared |
Background and previous scrutiny
19.1 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.
19.2 We have followed the progress of negotiations
closely and agreed, in June 2012, to grant a scrutiny waiver to
enable the Government to support a partial general approach on
all aspects of the draft Regulation except the budget at the Employment,
Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council. Since then,
"trilogue" discussions have taken place between the
Council, European Parliament and Commission with a view to securing
an agreement before the end of 2013. Our earlier Reports[63]
set out in greater detail the main elements of the draft Regulation
and the Government's position.
19.3 When we last considered the draft Regulation,
in May 2013, the Government told us that good progress had been
made but highlighted two outstanding issues. The first 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 (those whose gross national income per inhabitant is less
than 90% of the EU average). This proposal was excluded from
the partial general approach agreed by the Council but the European
Parliament supports its reinsertion. The Commission was asked
to develop an alternative proposal that would be acceptable to
the Council and the European Parliament.
19.4 The second issue concerned the source of funding
for activities to reduce drug-related health damage. Member States
agreed that these activities should be included within the scope
of the Health for Growth Programme rather than the Justice Programme
for 2014-20, but the European Parliament had yet to reach a view.
19.5 The Government also confirmed that the European
Parliament would be unwilling to seal agreement on any sectoral
funding programmes (including the Health for Growth Programme)
until horizontal issues, such as the number and scope of delegated
acts and the size of the Programme budget, have been settled.[64]
The Minister's letter of 30 October 2013
19.6 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Public
Health (Jane Ellison) tells us that an informal agreement has
been reached with the European Parliament on a compromise Presidency
text which she expects to be approved at a final trilogue negotiation
on 6 November and put forward for adoption by the Council once
the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-20 has been
agreed later this autumn.[65]
Although the Programme budget remains subject to final approval
of the Multiannual Financial Framework, the Minister expects agreement
to be reached on a figure of €449.39 million in current prices
for the period 2014-20. This is broadly in line with the figure
of €446 million originally proposed by the Commission in
November 2011.
19.7 Turning to the Commission's proposal for a higher
EU co-financing rate for poorer Member States, the Minister explains
that a compromise has been agreed which is intended to facilitate
greater participation in EU-funded, public health-related activities.
The compromise provides for a higher EU co-financing rate (80%
instead of 60% of eligible costs) for actions of "exceptional
utility" involving 14 countries (Member States and eligible
third countries), of which at least four have a gross national
income per inhabitant below 90% of the EU average. 30% of the
budget proposed for the action would be allocated to these poorer
Member States. The Minister considers that this compromise represents
"the best achievable outcome".
19.8 A compromise has also been reached on the use
of delegated acts. The Minister notes that the Government has
successfully resisted the use of delegated acts to adopt the annual
work programmes implementing the Health for Growth Programme.
However, the Presidency compromise text empowers the Commission
to adopt a delegated act, following a mid-term evaluation of the
Programme, to remove one or more thematic priorities if there
is little prospect that they can be implemented within the timeframe
envisaged in the draft Regulation. The Commission may also adopt
a delegated act to introduce new thematic priorities if the mid-term
evaluation indicates that they are necessary to achieve the objectives
of the Programme. The Minister suggests that the compromise avoids
the use of delegated acts "for high level risk decisions,
including the adoption of annual work programmes", but permits
their use "where the risk to the policy and Programme concerned
are considered low, and where necessary, there are measures in
the legislation to mitigate and manage the risk".
19.9 Finally, the Presidency compromise text confirms
that the Health for Growth Programme will support action taken
by Member States to reduce drugs-related health damage.
19.10 The Minister invites us to clear the draft
Regulation from scrutiny so that the Government will be able to
vote in favour of the Presidency compromise text when it is brought
to the Council for formal adoption later this autumn.
Conclusion
19.11 We thank the Minister for her latest progress
report. We note that the Government has been unable to secure
reduced expenditure for the Health for Growth Programme, as it
originally intended at the outset of negotiations, but is otherwise
broadly content with the outcome of trilogue discussions with
the European Parliament. The final Programme budget will, in
any event, be determined by the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework
(MFF) for 2014-20. Once the MFF has been formally adopted by
the European Parliament and Council (the timing remains uncertain),
it will be necessary to proceed with some haste to ensure that
the Health for Growth Programme (and other similar Programmes)
are able to take effect from 1 January 2014. We therefore agree
to clear the draft Regulation so that the Government is able to
support its adoption once it is brought before the Council.
63 See headnote. Back
64
See our Third Report of 21 May 2013, cited in the headnote. Back
65
A copy of the compromise text has been made available to inform
our scrutiny of the draft Regulation but, as it is marked limité,
its contents cannot be made public at this stage. Back
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