RESOLUTION of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 7 July 1986 on a programme of action of the European Communities against cancer

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

Having regard to the Treaties establishing the European Communities,

Having regard to the draft resolution submitted by the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament [1],

[1] Opinion delivered on 12 May 1986 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee [2],

[2] OJ No C 101, 28.4.1986, p. 22.

Whereas, pursuant to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, the Community has inter alia as its task, by establishing a common market and progressively approximating the economic policies of Member States, to promote throughout the Community a harmonious development of economic activities, a continuous and balanced expansion and an accelerated raising of the standard of living;

Whereas the European Council in Milan on 28 and 29 June 1985 emphasized the importance of launching a European programme of action against cancer;

Whereas that European Council also approved the proposals of the ad hoc Committee on a People's Europe calling for an appropriate follow-up to the Commission communication on cooperation at Community level on health problems;

Whereas various Community actions to prevent cancers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation or exposure to chemical carcinogens are already being carried out under the Treaties establishing the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community;

Whereas actions to reduce the risk of cancer from exposure to carcinogenic substances are included in a number of existing Community programmes on the environment, worker protection, consumer protection, nutrition, agriculture and the internal market;

Whereas the present programme would increase knowledge about the causes of the cancer and the possible means of preventing and treating it;

Whereas by ensuring a wider dissemination of knowledge of the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer, and an improvement in the comparability of information about those matters, in particular concerning the nature and degree of risk of cancer arising from exposure to given substances or processes, the programme will contribute to the achievement of Community objectives, in particular the removal of non-tariff barriers to trade, while contributing to the overall reduction of risks of cancer;

Whereas research into cancer and carcinogenic effects of physical and chemical agents is being undertaken in a number of Community research programmes;

Whereas the coordination of national research activities relating to the early detection and treatment of cancer is not the specific purpose of this resolution; whereas research should take place in the context of the promotion of research organized by the Commission and of the relevant medical and public health research programmes; whereas it is desirable to provide the necessary coordination and liaison between those activities and the activities undertaken pursuant to this resolution;

Whereas cooperation with international and national organizations carrying out work in this field will ensure a wider dissemination of knowledge of cancer and help to avoid duplication of effort,

1. take note of the conclusions of the ad hoc Committee of cancer experts (which met in Paris on 19 and 20 February 1986) , forwarded to the Council by the Commission in its report of 10 March 1986;

2. express the political will to implement a five-year action programme of the European Communities against cancer;

3. set for this programme the objective of contributing to an improvement of the health and quality of life of citizens within the Community by:

- reducing the number of illnesses due to cancer and the related mortality and

- decreasing the potential years of life lost because of cancer;

4. call on the Commission to examine systematically whether and to what extent, Community legislation, measures and other activities are likely to constitute a hindrance to cancer prevention;

5. take note of the action programme proposed by the Commission and consider the following priority actions to be necessary:

(a) Tobacco

As a first priority, development of measures to limit and reduce the use of tobacco.

These measures should be based on the practical experience gained in the various Member States and should contribute to increasing the effectiveness of national programmes and actions.

Systematic examination of the various ways and means of limiting and reducing the use of tobacco, such as rules on advertising, rules on labelling, tax legislation, sponsorship, enforcement of no-smoking rules, extension of no-smoking areas and, if appropriate, the drafting of proposals for actions at Community level.

(b) Chemical substances

Development of harmonized criteria and procedures for evaluating the carcinogenic nature of chemical substances.

Identification and quantification of the carcinogens to which workers and/or the population are exposed and, if appropriate, drafting of new legislation and amendment of existing legislation in order to reduce exposure of workers and/or the population to carcinogens.

(c) Nutrition and alcohol

Assessment of the results of research and, where appropriate, preparation of measures, taking account of differing circumstances and habits in the Member States.

Attention should also be paid to abuses in the consumption of alcohol.

(d) Prevention/early diagnosis

Exchange of information and experience, particularly on Member States' preventive and early diagnosis programmes (type of examination, numbers participating, effectiveness, cost/benefit analysis excluding resources directly allocated to research) and, on this basis, the preparation of any appropriate measures.

(e) Epidemiological data

Exchange of information on Member States' structures and procedures for cancer epidemiology (inter alia through exchanges of experts) and evaluation of those structures and procedures with a view to improving them.

Improvement in the collection, availability and comparability of epidemiological data on cancer and factors causing cancer and, if appropriate, preparation of measures in this field taking particular account of the problems of data protection to assist in and help increase the effectiveness of epidemiological research.

(f) Health education

Exchange of information and experience, particularly on Member States' health education and information programmes and, on this basis, the preparation of any appropriate measures.

(g) International collaboration

Collaboration with international and national organizations active in the field covered by these actions to achieve maximum possible effectiveness;

6. consider that a high degree of cohesion between current and future actions at national and Community level would help achieve the objective referred to in point 3 and therefore advocate the strengthening of cancer prevention measures already initiated at Community level and the coordination of such actions with those referred to in point 5;

7. call on the Commission to submit within 12 months of the adoption of this resolution, and thereafter annually, in close collaboration with the Member States, a work programme detailing the work it intends to carry out in order to implement this resolution and, if necessary, to submit proposals to the Council to this effect.

The annual work programmes, together with a report on results achieved and activities carried out, will be forwarded to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee;

8. take note of the Commission's intention to:

- submit proposals on research and on a European Cancer Information Campaign and

- intensify work relating to cancer in all other Community programmes with a view to submitting appropriate proposals.