MEPs win battle over health cash

Date: 21/12/1995

Representatives from the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers have reached an agreement which should allow three new EU health programmes to come into effect early next year.

After a short negotiating session, the Council decided to bow to Parliament demands for more money, on condition that the latter would drop an amendment to the AIDs programme calling for the free distribution of condoms.

Few fundamental differences existed between the two institutions over the content of the proposals to combat AIDs and cancer and to promote healthy living in the EU, but the two were at loggerheads over how much the schemes should cost.

The Council wanted to cut the amount of money to be spent over the next five years on the fight against cancer and on health promotion plans by 5 million ecu each, a reduction which MEPs found unacceptable. Member states have now agreed to spend the extra 5 million on each, bringing the total amount to be spent on cancer prevention to 64 million ecu and the health promotion package to 35 million ecu.

But MEPs have been forced to agree to an AIDs prevention policy which does not mention the free distribution of condoms.

Catholic countries such as Ireland were vehemently opposed to such a strategy.

Parliament also caved in on the question of who should review and implement the programmes once they are in place, agreeing to accept a less prominent part in the procedure than it had at first wanted.