8. 3. 78 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 59/43 
Opinion  on the first  programme  of research  actions  in the sector  of medical  and  public 
health  research 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has not been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 18 July  1977  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  programme  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  198  of the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 153rd 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 23 and  24 November  1977. 
The full text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  198 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  for an opinion  made  by 
the Council  of the European  Communities  on 18 July 
1977, 
Having  regard  to the decision  taken  by its chairman  on 
2 September  1977  instructing  the Section  for Protection 
of the  Environment,  Public  Health  and  Consumer 
Affairs  to draw  up an opinion  and  a report  on the 
matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by that  Section  at 
its meeting  on 15 November  1977, 
Having  regard  to the report  submitted  by the rappor-
teur,  Sir John  Peel, 
Having  regard  to the discussion  at its 153rd  plenary 
session  held  on 23 and  24 November  1977  (meeting  of 
23 November), 
Whereas  concerted  action  programmes  carried  out  by 
the Community  will  reinforce  the effectiveness  of na-
tional  research  programmes  in certain  well-defined 
areas  of medical  research, 1. General  comments 
1.1. The  Committee  welcomes  the proposals,  and  re-
cognizes  the need  for concerted  action  in medical,  as in 
other  fields  of research.  However,  the Committee  re-
grets  that  the funds  available  for research  in the field  of 
medicine  and public  health  are at present  so very  inade-
quate  and  hopes  that  more  ambitious  programmes  will 
be introduced  in the near  future.  Further  such  concerted 
action  needs  to be very  carefully  moflitored  and concen-
trate  on those  fields  where  purely  national  research 
programmes  may  be handicapped  for  a variety  of 
reasons  and  such  Community  collaboration  can  be ex-
pected  to yield  significant  results  more  quickly. 
1.2. Any  concerted  research  action  programme  will 
need  to be very  carefully  scrutinized  for its scientific 
authenticity,  and  for the benefit  likely  to accrue  for the 
Community  as a whole. 
1.3. The  Committee  is pleased  to note  that  in deciding 
upon  the subjects  for the first  programme  account  was 
taken  of the .activities  of other  international  organiz-
ations  such  a9 WHO,  the European  Medical  Research 
Council  and  the European  Science  Foundation. 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously:  -
The Committee  approves  the programme  and  has  the 
following  additional  comments  to make. 1.4. The  Committee  recognises  that  in choosing  the 
initial  three  subjects  for concerted  action  many  other 
subjects  of equal  importance  will  have  beenjnevitably 
left out, but is pleased  that  a second  programme  is likely 
to be presented  in 1978. 
No C 59/44 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 8. 3. 78 
1.5. It is to be hoped  that  in these  and  future  pro-
grammes  it may  be possible  to include  non-Member 
States,  if the subject  is likely  to be appropriate  for re-
search  in a still  wider  context.  This  principle  has  been 
accepted  by CREST  in relation  to other  research  pro-
grammes  (non-medical). 
2. Specific  comments 
2.1. As other  important  causes  of stillbirth,  neonatal 
mortality,  morbidity  and  handicap  are  progressively 
eliminated,  the importance  of congenital  abnormalities 
as a cause  of such  disabilities  is increased  both  for the 
individual  family  and for society  as a whole.  The  subject 
is therefore  particularly  suitable  for the  collection  of 
information  about  both  the  incidence  and  possible 
aetiological  factors.  It is particularly  important  to de-
cide upon  a clearly-defined  list  of congenital  abnor-
malities  to be registered,  as these  are far more  common 
than  often  realized  and  ambiguity  as to the exact  ones 
to be listed  may  lead  to incomplete  data  being  collected 
and non-comparable  results  obtained.  As there  are both 
genetic  and  environmental  aspects  in the causation  of 
congenital  abnormalities,  the Committee  emphasizes  the 
need  for including  information  about  the ethnic  origin 
and age  of the  parents,  even  if other  details  in the 
patient's  normal  medical  history  cannot  be collected  at 
first.  The  inclusion  of inborn  metabolic  disorders,  diges-
tive disorders  in children  and  monogolism,  emphasizes 
that there  are  a considerable  number  of congenital 
abnormalities  that  are  frequently  not  diagnosed  im-
mediately  at birth,  and  these  will  have  to be included  at 
a later  stage  in the research  programme  if meaningful results  are to be obtained,  covering  the whole  field  of 
disabilities  affecting  the foetus  during  intra-uterine  life, 
and the child  after  birth. 
2.2. The  personal,  social  and  medical  problems  as-
sociated  with  a rapid  increase  in the age  of the popu-
lation,  will  affect  all the Member  States  very  vitally  in 
the coming  years.  The  physiological  and  pathological 
changes  associated  with  the ageing  process  in man  are 
profound  and  the subject  is enormous.  The  Committee 
is pleased  to note,  therefore,  that  in this  first  pro-
gramme  the specific  topics  to be included  are  strictly 
limited  and  clearly  defined.  In this  area  the results  of the 
research  should  be borne  in mind  in relation  to other 
Community  policies. 
2.3. From  the purely  medical  point  of view  it is a mat-
ter of doubt  whether  Community  action  in regard  to 
research  in the field  of extracorporeal  oxygenation  will 
advance  knowledge  more  rapidly  than  would  otherwise 
take place  as a result  of the  existing  research  pro-
grammes  in the Member  States.  However,  as progress  in 
this field  is mainly  derived  from  purely  technological 
advances  and  the development  of specialized  equipment, 
the Committee  hopes  that  a multi-disciplinary  approach 
on an international  scale  may  facilitate  the solutions  to 
so many  of the problems  still  existing  in this  area,  which 
is one  of the most  important  growing  points  in medical 
research.  The  wider  availability  of sophisticated  and 
specialized  equipment  developed  in  the  different 
countries  should  lead  to a more  rapid  assessment  of this 
effectiveness,  as well  as making  a small  but  important 
contribution  to trade  within  the Community. 
Done  at Brussels,  23 November  1977. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic 
and Social  Committee 
Basil  de FERRANTI