Ladies and gentlemen, we should indeed welcome the Khanbhai report, which is the result of some excellent work in reaching a compromise between the various political groups and the rapporteur, and I would like to thank him for his effort. This report reflects a twofold realisation, both of the extent of the scourge and that of the financial and human resources necessary to combat it. It enables us to take several steps forward in a debate that is essential for the very survival of part of the world. It also clarifies Parliament’s position on many crucial points such as the need to significantly increase resources assigned to improving health systems and to fighting communicable diseases in developing countries, the will to overcome the opposition between prevention and treatment, which are two essential and complementary aspects of the fight against disease, and the emergence of a new concept of public health as a global public asset. In addition, it clarifies and provides an interpretation of the safeguard clauses in the TRIPS agreement on intellectual property. It also confirms the fact that the issue of the price of drugs is at the heart of the debates on access to treatment and the importance of research and development and, above all, it stresses the need to focus efforts on diseases that particularly affect the South, as well as forgotten illnesses. The European Parliament’s position is therefore now clear and coherent, but, above all, it is just and fair. There is the feeling that we are finally beginning to ask the right questions and, from now on, we need to provide the right answers. It is now time, ladies and gentlemen, to make the move from good intentions to positive action. In the immediate future, there are two main areas of action in which we need to intervene. The first involves interpreting agreements on intellectual property in a way that is more favourable to the health of the developing world. Public opinion is ready for such progress to take place and the withdrawal of actions brought against South Africa and Brazil has created a very distinct psychological climate. Many ambiguities still remain, however. The fourth WTO ministerial conference in Doha should enable us to go further in officially and formally proposing guarantees on recourse to all the components of the safeguard clauses established in the TRIPS agreement, confirming in particular that in the case of compulsory licences, drugs can be produced in third countries. The second front on which we should expect short-term progress is the global AIDS and health fund that was launched in New York and Genoa. An interim working group has been implemented. It will make proposals in the next few days. The principle is therefore now established. We must insist, however, that this fund should start to operate in the coming weeks so that treatment gets to patients as soon as possible, and we must ensure that its statute and procedures are fair. What does this mean in specific terms? It means that the fund should be operational before 15 December, the deadline, so that the Commission can make its contribution to the 2001 budget, and so that the definitive structure of these funds and the composition of its statutory bodies respect the rule of equality between representatives from Northern and Southern States and also between the NGOs from these two areas. It also involves, and I will end here, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, clarifications on the contribution of the European Union. The Union committed itself in Genoa, as stated by Mr Prodi, to allocating a budget of EUR 120 million to the global health fund. This amount is not currently entered under any budget item. The Commission must confirm to us today that this amount will not come from and will not be deducted from other funds earmarked for development and that it is indeed an annual contribution that will be entered in the budget on the specific line from 2002. I thank you in advance for including these particular details. (Applause)

Political group: PSE