A4-0067/98

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adopting a programme of Community action from 1999 to 2003 on injury prevention in the context of the framework for action in the field of public health (COM(97)0178 - C4-0229/97 - 97/0132(COD))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 7

>Original text>

(7) Whereas the European Parliament and the Council, in their Decision No 3092/94/EC, introduced a Community system of information in home and leisure accidents with which this Decision should be closely coordinated;

>Text following EP vote>

(7)

Whereas the European Parliament and the Council, in their Decision No 3092/94/EC, introduced a Community system of information on home and leisure accidents (EHLASS) with which this Decision should be closely coordinated with a view to strengthening, improving and extending that system;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 7a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(7a) Whereas the large number of injuries caused each year in Europe represents a major loss of human potential with huge economic and social repercussions both at national and Community level;

(Amendment 3)

Recital 7b (new)

>Original text>

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(7b) Whereas prevention and the consequent reduction of injuries should be a priority in the context of Community action in the field of public health, particularly in view of the great economic and social benefit to be derived from this programme, the cost-benefit ratio of which is also exceptionally favourable;

(Amendment 4)

Recital 8a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(8a) Whereas measures to reduce injury should include measures to prevent injuries particularly to children, young adults, women and older people, whether caused intentionally or unintentionally, or through suicide or self-infliction;

(Amendment 5)

Recital 8b (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(8b) Whereas it is essential for the implementation of the programme that there is a Community information collection system based, both for intentional and unintentional injuries, on strengthening, improving and extending EHLASS and, for suicides or self-inflicted injuries, on the setting up and development of an information collection system founded on the experience gained from the operation of Community networks;

(Amendment 6)

Recital 8c (new)

>Original text>

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(8c) Whereas the operation and development of information collection systems and networks for injury prevention does not affect compliance with data protection legislation, including mechanisms to ensure confidentiality and security as laid down by European Parliament and Council Directive 95/46/EC of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data(1);

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(1) OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.

(Amendment 7)

Recital 8d (new)

>Original text>

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(8d) Whereas it is of paramount importance for the study of injuries and for determining Community health indicators relating to domestic activities, recreation and mental health, as referred to in European Parliament and Council Decision 1400/97/EC of 30 June 1997 adopting a programme of Community action on health monitoring within the framework for action in the field of public health (1997-2001)(1), that information is collected and exchanged on the basis of comparable and consistent data on intentional and unintentional injuries, suicides or self-inflicted injury;

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(1) OJ L 193, 22.7.1997, p. 1.

(Amendment 8)

Recital 8e (new)

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(8e) Whereas the groups most susceptible to injury resulting from violence are children and women;

(Amendment 9)

Recital 8f (new)

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(8f) Whereas violence in sporting contexts causes a great many injuries;

(Amendment 10)

Recital 10a (new)

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(10a) Whereas the aims and objectives of Community action on injury prevention should be consistent with the policies and programmes drawn up and implemented at Community level, particularly in the context of action in the field of public health;

(Amendment 11)

Recital 10b (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(10b) Whereas implementation of Community measures to prevent and reduce injuries should take account of related research carried out under the Community research and technological development framework programme and, in particular, the information technology programme in the field of public health concerning the dissemination of information and methods of training;

(Amendment 12)

Recital 10c (new)

>Original text>

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(10c) Whereas Community action on injury prevention should be coordinated under the research and technological development programme with the plans for information technology (IT) applications in the health sector;

(Amendment 13)

Recital 10d (new)

>Original text>

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(10d) Whereas action on injury prevention should be closely coordinated with measures under the Community framework programme on statistical information, Community plans for the computerized interchange of data between administrations (IDA) and the G7 plans in the health sector;

(Amendment 14)

Recital 10e (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(10e) Whereas action on injury prevention should take into account the work undertaken by EUROSTAT, the European standardization agencies (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI), the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, the European Environment Agency and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction;

(Amendment 15)

Recital 11a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(11a) Whereas on 20 December 1994 agreement was reached on 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 Article 189b of the Treaty(1);

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(1) OJ C 102, 4.4.1996, p. 1.

(Amendment 16)

Article 1(2)

>Original text>

2. The aim of the Programme is to contribute to public health activities which seek to reduce the incidence of injury, by promoting the more effective dissemination and application of prevention techniques whose worth is widely accepted by experts, and by helping to strengthen the general capacity of public health bodies to mount effective injury prevention activities.

>Text following EP vote>

2.

The aim of the Programme is to contribute to public health activities which seek to reduce the incidence of injury, particularly to children, young adults, women and older people, caused intentionally or unintentionally, or through suicide or self-infliction, by promoting:

(a) the epidemiological monitoring of injuries,

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(b) the development, strengthening, improvement and extension of systems and networks for collecting and exchanging information on injury prevention,

>Original text>

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(c) the effective dissemination and application of prevention techniques whose worth is widely accepted by experts,

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(d) the strengthening of the public health bodies responsible for mounting effective injury prevention activities.

(Amendment 17)

Article 1a (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Article 1a

Definitions

For the purposes of this Decision:

- 'injury' means intentional or unintentional injury, suicide or self-inflicted injury, excluding injury resulting from industrial and road accidents;

- 'epidemiological monitoring' means the continuous and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of medical data, including epidemiological studies concerning the categories of injury and, in particular, their incidence and geographical distribution and the analysis of the risk factors with a view to taking appropriate measures to prevent and reduce them.

(Amendment 18)

Article 2(1a) (new)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

1a. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, shall be responsible for:

(a) the development and operation of a Community information system on intentional and unintentional injuries based on the strengthening, improvement and extension of EHLASS;

(b) the development and operation of a Community system of information on injuries resulting from suicide and on self-inflicted injury;

(c) the cohesion and administration of the two systems of information,

(Amendment 19)

Article 3(1)

>Original text>

1. The financial framework for the implementation of the Programme for the year 1999 shall be ECU 1.3 million, in keeping with current financial perspectives. The financial framework for the final four years of the programme (2000-2003) shall be determined in detail after the establishment of the future perspectives.

>Text following EP vote>

1.

The total appropriation for the implementation of the Programme for the period 1999-2003 is estimated at ECU 14 million. This total breaks down into appropriations to be authorized in adopting the budget for 1999 and those to be covered by the future financial perspectives.

(Amendment 20)

Article 4

>Original text>

The Commission shall ensure that there is consistency and complementarity between the Community actions to be implemented under the Programme and those implemented under other relevant Community programmes and actions.

>Text following EP vote>

The Commission shall

take the necessary measures to ensure that there is consistency and complementarity between the Community actions to be implemented under the Programme and those implemented under other relevant Community programmes and actions. It shall give notification of the measures no later than six months after the adoption of this Decision.

(Amendment 21)

Article 5(1), 1st subparagraph

>Original text>

1. The Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee', consisting of representatives of the Member States, and chaired by the Commission representative.

>Text following EP vote>

1.

The Commission shall be assisted by an advisory committee, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee', consisting of two representatives per Member State, in which experts and representatives of voluntary organizations with relevant expertise may also participate. The Committee shall be chaired by the Commission representative.

(Amendment 22)

Annex (I), title

>Original text>

I. Accidents to children, young adults and elderly people

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I. Intentional or unintentional injuries, particularly to children, young adults, women and elderly people

(Amendment 23)

Annex (II), title

>Original text>

II. Suicide

>Text following EP vote>

II. Injuries resulting from suicide or self-inflicted injury

(Amendment 24)

Annex, Actions

>Original text>

Actions to be undertaken in support of each of these objectives:

(actions may relate to more than one objective: for example a project on safety in sport might affect children, young adults and older people)

>Text following EP vote>

Actions to be undertaken in support of Objective I:

(actions may relate to more than one objective: for example a project on safety in sport might affect children, young adults and older people)

(Amendment 25)

Annex (1)

>Original text>

1. Networks: encouraging and assisting the creation of networks, dedicated in particular to: development of new approaches or innovative methods of tackling common problems, exchanges of materials, guidelines and handbooks, organization of training activities.

>Text following EP vote>

1. Networks: encouraging, strengthening and assisting the creation of networks for the prevention of injuries under Objective I, dedicated in particular to:

- the collection, processing and dissemination of information;

- the provision and transmission of comparable and consistent data to the Community information system which shall be based on extending and improving EHLASS;

- the development of new approaches or innovative methods of tackling common problems;

- exchanges of materials, guidelines and handbooks;

- the organization of training activities.

(Amendment 26)

Annex (3)

>Original text>

3. Data about injuries: in conjunction with EHLASS promoting agreed approaches to coding, data definitions, better recording of place of occurrence, as well as on behavioural aspects and on chain of events, more precision in cause of death certification, the grading of the severity of the injury and the establishment of a minimum set of data the use of relevant results of the international collaborative effort on injury statistics; examination of the coverage of existing data collection systems and where necessary development of measures to improve such coverage, inclusion of additional questions or modules in existing Community-wide surveys; assistance in identifying the need for surveys, promoting the creation of a database of known surveys.

>Text following EP vote>

3. Data about injuriesunder Objective I:

- in conjunction with EHLASS, collection of data and information on injuries caused by badly designed products and data and information to improve passive prevention and safety by improving the design of products responsible for injuries;

- in conjunction with EHLASS promoting agreed approaches to coding, data definitions, better recording of place of occurrence, as well as on behavioural aspects and on chain of events, more precision in cause of death certification, the grading of the severity of the injury and the establishment of a minimum set of data;

- the use of relevant results of the International Collaborative Effort on Injury Statistics;

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

- examination of the coverage of existing data collection systems and where necessary development of measures to improve such coverage;

- inclusion of additional questions or modules in existing Community-wide surveys;

- assistance in identifying the need for surveys;

- promoting the creation of a database of known surveys;

- more immediate identification of hazardous products and notification to enforcement authorities.

(Amendment 27)

Annex, 1st sub-heading (4)

>Original text>

4. Technical investigations of injury risk factors: promoting collaboration between institutions with specialized knowledge and facilities able to undertake such activities; supporting the development of an inventory of institutions and their projects, and evaluations of prevention projects and campaigns.

>Text following EP vote>

4. Technical investigations of injury risk factors: promoting collaboration between institutions with specialized knowledge and facilities able to undertake such activities; supporting the development of an inventory of institutions and their projects, and evaluations of prevention projects and campaigns, strengthening product recall and safer product design systems.

(Amendment 28)

Annex, after (5) (new)

>Original text>

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Actions to be undertaken in support of Objective II:

>Original text>

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(Actions may relate to more than one objective: for example, a project on safety in sport might affect children, young adults and older people)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

5a. Support, encouragement and provision of assistance to set up networks for the prevention of injuries under Objective II, dedicated in particular to:

>Original text>

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- the collection, processing and dissemination of information and experience, prevention measures, use of assessment methods and determination of the effectiveness of preventive measures and information activities;

>Original text>

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- the provision and transmission of comparable and consistent data to the Community information system and research into means of improving the quality, compatibility and availability of data;

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- the exchange of information concerning the effectiveness of messages and campaigns aimed at the public at large and at target groups;

>Original text>

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- training, through the exchange of information and expert reports, of health sector personnel and all those whose work brings them into constant contact with individuals and groups of people who have attempted to commit suicide;

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5b. Exchange of experience, information, appraisal of access to information services concerning the problems and situations of people, particularly young people, exhibiting suicidal behaviour and studies of accompanying methods relating to young people who have attempted to commit suicide.

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5c. Development and exchange of experience to help individuals who are under mental stress (pain, depression, anxiety), including the use of psychological support networks.

>Original text>

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5d. Exchange of materials and educational methods through support for pilot schemes, principally for groups of young people with special needs.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adopting a programme of Community action from 1999 to 2003 on injury prevention in the context of the framework for action in the field of public health (COM(97)0178 - C4-0229/97 - 97/0132(COD))(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council, COM(97)0178 - 97/0132(COD) ((OJ C 202, 2.7.1997, p. 20.)),

- having regard to Articles 189b(2) and 129(4), first indent, of the EC Treaty pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C4-0229/97),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0067/98),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to incorporate Parliament's amendments in the common position that it adopts in accordance with Article 189b(2) of the EC Treaty;

4. Should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament, calls on the Council to notify Parliament and requests that the conciliation procedure be initiated;

5. Points out that the Commission is required to submit to Parliament any modification it may intend to make to its proposal as amended by Parliament;

6. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.

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