This document is meant purely as documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
"B DECISION No 647/96/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 29 March 1996
adopting a programme of Community action on the prevention of AIDS and certain other communicable
diseases within the framework for action in the field of public health (1996 to 2000)
(OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 16)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
"M1 Decision No 521/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 26 February 2001 L 79 1 17.3.2001
NB: This consolidated version contains references to the European unit of account and/or the ecu, which from 1 January 1999 should be
understood as references to the euro — Council Regulation (EEC) No 3308/80 (OJ L 345, 20.12.1980, p. 1) and Council Regulation(EC) No 1103/97 (OJ L 162, 19.6.1997, p. 1).1996D0647 — EN — 01.01.2001 — 001.001 — 1
DECISION No 647/96/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND
OF THE COUNCIL
of 29 March 1996
adopting a programme of Community action on the prevention of AIDS
and certain other communicable diseases within the framework for action
in the field of public health (1996 to 2000)
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in
particular Article 129 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3),
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the
Treaty (4) in the light of the joint text approved on 31 January 1996 by the
Conciliation Committee,
(1) Whereas the Council, in its Resolution of 2 June 1994 (5), in response
to the Commission communication of 24 November 1993 on a
framework for action in the field of public health, included AIDS andother communicable diseases among the priority areas for Community
action for which the Commission was invited to bring forward
proposals for action;
(2) Whereas AIDS is at present an incurable disease regarded as a major
scourge, to combat which coordinated action is required in the areasboth of research and of prevention;
(3) Whereas it is important to promote the utilization and proper use of
condoms as a means of preventing transmission of the HIV virus and
other sexually-transmissible diseases;
(4) Whereas AIDS is a phenomenon that poses a dilemma not only for
those parts of human relationships of most intimate concern to
individuals, but also for modes of collective behaviour; whereas itsimplications extend to law and the economy, to politics, public health,
education and culture, as well as to medicine, sociology and research;
(5) Whereas the plan of action adopted by Decision 91/317/EEC of the
Council and the Ministers for Health of the Member States, meeting
within the Council (
6), in the framework of the ‘Europe against AIDS’
programme expired at the end of 1993;
(6) Whereas the ‘Europe against AIDS’ programme was extended until the
end of 1995 by Decision No 1729/95/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council (7);
(7) Whereas the Council in its conclusions of 13 December 1993 on the
setting up of an epidemiological network in the Community (8) and the
European Parliament in its resolutions of 26 May 1989 (9), 15 May
1991 (10) and 19 November 1993 (11) took the view that it was essential
to acquire a better knowledge of diseases on the basis of their causes
and their epidemiological context; whereas, accordingly, the two!B
(1) OJ No C 333, 29. 11. 1994, p. 34, and OJ No C 228, 2. 9. 1995, p. 6.
(2) OJ No C 133, 31. 5. 1995, p. 23.
(3) OJ No C 100, 2. 4. 1996, p. 28.
(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 27 April 1995 (OJ No C 126, 22. 5. 1995, p.
74), Council Common Position of 2 June 1995 (OJ No C 216, 21. 8. 1995, p. 11)
and Decision of the European Parliament of 25 October 1995 (OJ No C 308, 20.
11. 1995). Decision of the European Parliament of 15 February 1996 (OJ No C 65,
4. 3. 1996) and Council Decision of 16 February 1996.
(5) OJ No C 165, 17. 6. 1994, p. 1.
(6) OJ No L 175, 4. 7. 1991, p. 26.
(7) OJ No L 168, 18. 7. 1995, p. 1.
(8) OJ No C 15, 18. 1. 1994, p. 6.
(9) OJ No C 158, 26. 6. 1989, p. 477.
(10) OJ No C 158, 17. 6. 1991, p. 45.
(11) OJ No C 329, 6. 12. 1993, p. 375.1996D0647 — EN — 01.01.2001 — 001.001 — 2
institutions have called on the Commission to submit proposals for the
setting up of an epidemiological network in the Community;
(8) Whereas the European Parliament and the Council emphasized that the
smooth running of a network for gathering epidemiological data
requires that the comparability and compatibility of data be ensured
and that theoretical training in epidemiology and practical preparationin epidemiology in the field be developed for the teams participating inthe network;
(9) Whereas the Community is in a position to make a major contribution
towards the organization of exchanges of experience and the
dissemination of information with regard to the specific training ofhealth professionals and the information of all the social players
involved, such as teachers, families, authorities and heads of under-
takings;
(10) Whereas, in their Resolution of 13 November 1992 (
1), the Council and
the Ministers for Health of the Member States meeting within the
Council invited the Commission to consider the existing arrangements
which provide for cooperation between Member States in the field ofmonitoring and control of communicable diseases;
(11) Whereas the actions undertaken at Community level in the field of
AIDS need to be continued, extended to cover certain other
communicable diseases, in particular sexually-transmissible diseases
(STDs), and consolidated within the framework of the action in thefield of public health set out by the Commission, in a manner
consistent with measures against exclusion and situations of
vulnerability;
(12) Whereas these actions must take into account, as the Council and the
Ministers for Health of the Member States meeting within the Councilrequested in their Resolution of 27 May 1993 (
2), other actions
undertaken by the Community in the field of public health or having an
impact on public health;
(13) Whereas, by reason of its scale and effects, Community action in
support of the prevention of AIDS and other communicable diseases
enables the desired objectives to be attained more effectively;
(14) Whereas policies and programmes formulated and implemented at
Community level should be compatible with the aims and objectives ofCommunity action on the prevention of AIDS and other communicable
diseases; whereas, in particular, implementation of actions under the
Community’s biomedical and health research programme, in particularthe development of vaccines and new forms of treatment, must beclosely coordinated with the implementation of Community actions to
prevent infection by the HIV virus and certain other communicable
diseases;
(15) Whereas it is necessary to promote studies in the Member States to
identify the most effective methods of prevention and to publish the
most significant results of this work;
(16) Whereas cooperation with the competent international organizations
and with non-member countries should be strengthened;
(17) Whereas a multiannual programme is required, defining the objectives
of Community action, the priority actions for the prevention of AIDS
and other communicable diseases, and the appropriate evaluationmechanisms;
(18) Whereas it is important that the Commission ensures implementation
of the programme in close cooperation with the Member States;
whereas, to that end, provision should be made for a procedure to
ensure that Member States are fully involved in implementing theprogramme;
(19) Whereas a modus vivendi between the European Parliament, the
Council and the Commission concerning the implementing measures
for acts adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article189b of the Treaty was concluded on 20 December 1994;!B
(1) OJ No C 326, 11. 12. 1992, p. 1.
(2) OJ No C 174, 25. 6. 1993, p. 1.1996D0647 — EN — 01.01.2001 — 001.001 — 3
(20) Whereas, from an operational point of view, the investment made
under the preceding action plans in terms of both the European pilotnetworks and the mobilization of all those involved in combatingAIDS and other communicable diseases should be safeguarded and
developed;
(21) Whereas this programme must take account of past and current
measures implemented in the Member States either by the competent
authorities or by other parties involved in health policy;
(22) Whereas, however, possible duplication of effort should be avoided by
the promotion of exchanges of experience and by the joint
development of basic information modules for the general public,for health education and for training members of the health-careprofessions, which may be targeted on specific groups and on
non-governmental organizations, including patients’ associations;
(23) Whereas the provision of information to children and young people
must begin at a very early age in the general context of information on
hygiene and sexuality and health education;
(24) Whereas the objective of this programme must be to contribute
towards stemming the spread of AIDS and other communicable
diseases in the Community by improving knowledge concerning their
prevalence and patterns, improving recognition of high-risk situationsand practices and improving early detection and social, health and
medical support, with a view to preventing the transmission of AIDS
and other communicable diseases and thus reducing the associatedmortality and morbidity as well as combating all forms ofdiscrimination against people suffering from AIDS or infected with
the HIV virus;
(25) Whereas, in order to increase the value and impact of this programme,
a continuous assessment of the measures undertaken should be carried
out, with particular regard to their effectiveness and the achievement
of objectives at both national and Community level and, whereappropriate, the necessary adjustments should be made;
(26) Whereas the objective of this programme and of the measures
undertaken to implement it form part of the health protectionrequirements referred to in the third subparagraph of Article 129 (1)
of the Treaty and as such form a constituent part of the Community’s
other policies;
(27) Whereas access to this programme should be fac ilitated, with
particular stress on reaching organizations which lack means of easy
access to information on Community programmes;
(28) Whereas the procedures for granting financial aid should be simple
and accessible, and there should be guarantees of total transparency of
these procedures and the relevant controls;
(29) Whereas this Decision lays down, for the entire duration of the
programme, a financial framework constituting the principal point of
reference, within the meaning of point 1 of the Declaration by theEuropean Parliament, the Council and Commission of 6 March 1995,
for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure;
(30) Whereas this programme should run for five years in order to allow
sufficient time for actions to be implemented to achieve the objectives
set,
HA VE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Establishment of the programme
1. A programme of Community action on the prevention of AIDS and
certain other communicable diseases, hereinafter referred to as ‘this
programme’, shall be adopted for the period 1 January 1996 to
"M131
December 2002 3within the framework for action in the field of public
health.!B1996D0647 — EN — 01.01.2001 — 001.001 — 4
2. The objective of this programme shall be to help contain the spread of
AIDS and reduce mortality and morbidity due to communicable diseases, byencouraging cooperation between Member States, promoting cooperationbetween prevention policies and programmes and supporting the activities of
non-governmental organizations, including organizations for people affected
by HIV .
3. The actions to be implemented under this programme and their specific
objectives are set out in the Annex under the following headings:
A. Surveillance and monitoring of communicable diseases
B. Combating transmissionC. Information, education and training
D. Support for persons with HIV/AIDS and combating discrimination.
Article 2
Implementation
1. The Commission shall ensure the implementation, in close cooperation
with Member States, of the actions set out in the Annex,
"M1in accordance
with the procedures laid down in Article 5a(2) and (3) 3.
2. The Commission shall cooperate with the institutions and organizations
which are active in preventing AIDS and other communicable diseases.
Article 3
Budget
1. The financial framework for implementation of this programme for the
period from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 2000 shall be EUR 49,6 million,for the period from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 EUR 10,07 million
and for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 EUR 10,07
million.
2. The annual appropriations shall be authorized by the budgetary authority
within the limits of the financial perspective.
Article 4
Consistency and complementarity
The Commission shall ensure that there is consistency and complementarity
between actions to be implemented under this programme and the other
relevant Community programmes and initiatives, including the biomedical
and health research programme under the Community’s framework pro-gramme for research and Community action in developing countries.
Article 5
Implementing measures
The necessary measures for implementing this Decision relating to the
matters referred to below shall be adopted in accordance with the
management procedure referred to in Article 5a(3):
(a) an annual work programme indicating priorities for action;
(b) the arrangements, criteria and procedures for selecting and financing
projects under this programme, including those involving cooperation
with the international organisations competent in the field of public
health and participation of the countries referred to in Article 6(2);
(c) the evaluation procedure;
(d) the arrangements for dissemination and transfer of results;
(e) the arrangements for cooperating with the institutions and organisations
referred to in Article 2(2).!B
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The necessary measures for the implementation of this Decision as regards
other matters shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedurereferred to in Article 5a(2).
Article 5a
Committee
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision
1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision
1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at
two months.
4. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Article 6
International cooperation
1. In the course of implementing this programme, cooperation with
non-member countries and with international organizations competent in
the field of public health, especially the United Nations and in particular theWorld Health Organization, the Council of Europe and non-governmental
organizations competent in the field of public health or particularly involved
in the fight against AIDS and other communicable diseases and theprevention thereof, will be encouraged and implemented
"M1in accordance
with the procedures laid down in Article 5a(2) and (3) 3.
2. This programme shall be open to participation by the following countries:
(a) the EFTA/EEA countries in accordance with the conditions provided for
in the EEA Agreement;
(b) the associated countries of central and eastern Europe in accordance with
the conditions laid down in the Europe Agreements, the AdditionalProtocols to these Agreements and the decisions of the relevantAssociation Councils;
(c) Cyprus which shall be funded by additional appropriations, in accordance
with procedures to be agreed with this country;
(d) Malta and Turkey which shall be funded by additional appropriations in
accordance with the provisions of the Treaty.
Article 7
Monitoring and evaluation
1. The Commission, taking into account the reports drawn up by the
Member States and with the participation, where necessary, of independentexperts, shall ensure that an evaluation is made of the actions undertaken.
2. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the
Council an interim report in July 1998 and a final report upon completion ofthis programme. It shall incorporate into these reports the results of the
evaluations. It shall also send the reports to the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions.!M1
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!M11996D0647 — EN — 01.01.2001 — 001.001 — 6
ANNEX
PROGRAMME OF COMMUNITY ACTION ON THE PREVENTION OF AIDS
AND CERTAIN OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (1996 to 2000)
A. SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Objective
To help to improve knowledge and dissemination of information and data
concerning HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, taking into accountinternational disease-classification provisions, and to improve the coordinationof systems for monitoring these diseases and coordinating Community-levelresponses, particularly in the event of an epidemic outbreak.
Actions
1. Exploration with Member States of ways to increase the amount and
improve the quality, comparability and availability of data and provide
support for strengthening national or regional monitoring systems andimplementing them as part of a network and, in the case of HIV/AIDS andconnected diseases, support for the European Centre for the Epidemi-ological Monitoring of AIDS.
2. Contribution towards improving the quality and coordination of Member
States’ epidemiological monitoring systems and participation in thedevelopment of surveillance networks on the basis of the jointly-definedmethodologies and conditions for data transmission, prior consultation andcoordination of replies.
3. Setting up of a Community network of public health epidemiologists for
the purpose of defining common surveillance methods and tools andenhancing the ability to respond in a coordinated way to the developmentof communicable diseases, especially in the case of epidemic outbreaks.
4. Contributing, in particular by the provision of the logistical support
necessary, to the production and dissemination of a regular information
notice and of a Community bulletin on communicable diseasessurveillance, comprising both routine surveillance data and reports onspecific epidemiological investigations.
5. Encouraging action aimed at increasing awareness of the problems and
including comparable and reliable data on nosocomial infections
particularly in routine surveys of hospital conditions; promoting knowl-edge and exchanges of experience on the ways in which surveillanceresults concerning infections caused by germs resistant to normaltreatment (antibiotics) are analysed, processed and used by the actors inthe field.
6. Promotion of investigations of the effectiveness and feasibility of
screening for certain types of communicable diseases (tuberculosis,hepatitis, etc.), in particular among pregnant women. Coordination ofresearch to minimalize transmission of diseases from mother to child.
B. COMBATING TRANSMISSION
Objective
To assist efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually-trans-
mitted diseases (STDs), particularly as regards high-risk environments andbehaviour and ensure optimum vaccination cover in the Community for certaincommunicable diseases.
Actions
7. Coordination of studies and information on the problems and situations of
persons whose behaviour places them at risk (parenteral drug use,prostitution and at-risk sexual relations, etc.), or placed in particularsituations (travel, penal institutions, etc.) and modes of transmission;exchange of experience on preventive action including the promotion ofrisk-reduction measures; promotion of appropriate preventive measures
and of pilot projects, including promotion of the use and availability of
good-quality condoms, with instructions for use so as to avoid sexualtransmission of disease, and promotion of facilitated access to suchcondoms.!
B1996D0647 — EN — 01.01.2001 — 001.001 — 7
8. Exchange of views and experience on information, advice and counselling
for women who are pregnant or wanting to have children and who may beat risk of transmitting HIV to their babies.
9. Exchanges of information on messages and promotion of appropriate
measures for the dissemination of effective messages aimed at the generalpublic and at target groups, notably through campaigns to inform, educateand raise awareness concerning means of protection against the risk ofsexual transmission of diseases, the problems they raise and their use.
10. Promotion of cooperation and of exchange of information between
Member States on their vaccination policies and programmes as well astheir arrangements for implementing them and their results among thegeneral population and especially among children, groups exposed to riskand persons living in certain risk situations. Promotion of exchange ofexperience and information as regards determining vaccination cover,
vigilance concerning vaccines and encouragement of measures and
initiatives to ensure optimum vaccination cover.
C. INFORMA TION, EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Objective
To help to increase awareness and improve public information and education
and provide, including with regard to the early detection of communicablediseases, better training for health professionals and relevant personnel.
Actions
11. Evaluation of the impact of information campaigns on communicable
diseases and their prevention; encouragement of exchanges betweenMember States on information campaigns at all levels; development ofways of linking and reinforcing campaigns in the Member States, such asprovision of specific materials; utilization of telephone and other responsemechanisms; definition and promotion of activities to complementnational efforts, including the setting-up or strengthening of networks
and the exchange of experience and expertise.
12. Gathering and analysis of information concerning preventive measures and
promotion of the dissemination of the information; promotion of thedevelopment and use of assessment methods to determine the effectiveness
of preventive measures and information campaigns aimed at the general
public and target groups.
13. Encouragement of initiatives to ascertain and disseminate existing
information about the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of the general
public and certain target groups, particularly children and young people,
regarding HIV/AIDS and other STDs and about the preventive measurestaken in the European Community; examination and evaluation of currentpractice in providing information both within and outside formal structuressuch as schools, training institutions and sports clubs; promotion of theexchange of educational and training material and methods, and support
for pilot projects, especially those centred on groups of young people
without any specific organizational framework or formal educationalstructure; development of training suited to every stage of the individual’ sdevelopment and exchange of educational material for this purpose.
Promotion of information campaigns in the Member States on the
utilization and proper use of condoms as a means of preventing
transmission of the HIV virus.
Carrying out new Eurobarometer surveys on trends in knowledge and
behaviour with regard to HIV/AIDS, where existing information is
inadequate.
14. Encouragement of initiatives relating to messages intended to inform and
educate migrants in the Member States, taking particular account ofcultural and linguistic differences.
15. Surveys and exchange of experience on training given to health
professionals and those who, through their work, are brought into contactwith certain communicable diseases or can act to prevent them, includingpersonnel responsible for social support and counselling for HIV -infected
persons and those living with them, in order to identify weaknesses and
gaps in them and to help in devising and promoting new further trainingprogrammes; promotion of exchanges among the health professionalsinvolved, where such action is not covered by existing Communityprogrammes.
16. Support for the training of health personnel, in particular in the context of
epidemiology and early detection of and screening for communicablediseases, including personal advice at the time of screening.!
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D. SUPPORT FOR PERSONS WITH HIV/AIDS AND COMBATING DIS-
CRIMINATION
Objective
To assist efforts to ensure that persons suffering from HIV/AIDS receive
assistance in line with their needs and are not discriminated against in any way.
Actions
17. Exchanges of experience and information concerning modes of assistance
and support for those testing seropositive, those infected with AIDS andpersons living with them. Promotion of studies, pilot projects and actions
on the psycho-social aspects of HIV/AIDS, including the subject of
HIV -positive children in the school environment.
18. Production and dissemination of information bulletins and directories
giving the latest information on organizations providing information and
support; encouragement of networks of associations providing informationand psycho-social support.
19. Examination of actual or potential discriminatory situations in the Member
States. Exchange of information on measures taken in the Member Statesto avoid or combat discrimination, particularly as regards employment,insurance, credit, housing, education and health care. Exchange ofinformation and experience on HIV -testing policies and practices anddrawing-up of a code of good practice on the matter.!
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