WRITTEN QUESTION E-2402/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Subsidies for Alzheimer's projects

Alzheimer Europe is an umbrella organisation of 28 associations in Europe in support of Alzheimer's patients. In 1999 the European Parliament adopted an amendment to devote 2,5 million to activities geared to improving the quality of life of persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and of their (informal) carers.

The Commission has not yet published any tenders for awarding this financial support. It appears that the Commission itself intends to transfer the budget intended for Alzheimer's to the general health budget.

1. Has the Commission now published tenders for financial aid to Alzheimer's projects and/or organisations? If so, when and in what form? If not, when will the Commission publish tenders for financial aid to Alzheimer's projects and/or organisations?

2. Is the Commission considering transferring the budget intended for Alzheimer's to the general health budget? If so, how does the Commission reconcile this choice of policy with the amendment adopted by the European Parliament in 1999 to devote 2,5 million to activities geared to improving the quality of life of persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease and of their (informal) carers?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(14 September 2000)

The Commission recognises the good cause for which organisations such as Alzheimer Europe are working, and agrees with the Parliament on the importance of improving the quality of life both of those suffering from Alzheimer's and related diseases and of those who care for them.

However, concerning budget line B3-4307 of this year's budget (pilot projects aimed at improving the quality of life of patients suffering from neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, and of persons who care for Alzheimer patients in a non-professional capacity), the Commission had to outline at various meetings of the Parliament's committee on budgets that for legal reasons, the Commission is not in a position to implement this budget line. In fact, the interinstitutional agreement of 6 May 1999 lays down its point 37 that pilot projects cannot be implemented for more than two budgetary years. Pilot projects related to Alzheimer's disease have already been financed in 1997 and 1998(1). Implementing budget line B3-4307 of this year's budget would therefore imply that pilot projects on Alzheimer's and related diseases would be financed for a third budgetary exercise, which given the almost identical wording in the three exercises concerned would be in clear violation of the interinstitutional agreement.

Moreover, the interinstitutional agreement also states that the objective of pilot projects is to test the feasibility and usefulness of activities. However, implementing pilot projects on Alzheimer's and related diseases one more time this year would not serve that purpose, as activities carried out in previous years have already exploited the limited scope which the public health provisions contained in Article 152 (ex Article 129) of the EC Treaty give to the Community in this area.

In the light of the above considerations, and following the discussions at the committee on budgets, the member responsible for the budget in a letter of 11 July 2000 addressed to the chairman of the committee, has in fact confirmed that the Commission cannot implement the budget line B3-4307 and explained in detail the legal reasons underlying the Commission's position, which implies that no calls for proposals will be published under this budget line. In order to take advantage of the 2,5 million foreseen for budget line B3-4307, the Commission is currently examining in what other way the credits could possibly be used.

As far as research aspects linked to Alzheimer's disease are concerned, funding opportunities exist under the Fifth research and technological development (RTD) framework programme's thematic programme on quality of life and management of living resources (key action 6: The ageing population and disabilities).

(1) Moreover, the Parliament had decided to earmark 5 million for activities related to Alzheimer's disease in the 1996 budget under budget line B3-4300 (health promotion programme).