Press Release: European Parliament vote boosts plan for new Health Programme

The European Parliament showed support for the Commission's plans for the new Health Programme for 2001 - 20006 which will streamline and reinforce EU action in the field of public health on 12 december 2001 by adopting in a second reading the Trakatellis report which strongly supports the new approach to EU Public Health policy proposed by the Commission. This new approach will unite the eight existing programmes in a single, integrated horizontal scheme. The programme is a key component of the new Health Strategy put forward by the Prodi Commission in May last year. The size of the budget for the new programme however remains a major bone of contention between the EP and the Council. The Parliament wants to see €380 million dedicated to it, while the Council proposes €280 million in its Common Position. The Council now has three months to consider the amendments of the EP, with the budgetary question as the key issue. If rejected, the final budget for the health programme would need to be decided in conciliation between the two institutions. The Commission's proposal was for a total budget of €300 million