WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3501/97 by Arthur NEWENS to the Commission. Experts group on family planning and HIV/AIDS
Date: 1997-11-10
Institutions: European Parliament, NEWENS
Subjects: AIDS, action programme, family planning, medical research, research programme

C 174/68

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

8. 6. 98

The  Commission  has  also  tightened  the  checks  which  it  makes  on  the  quality  of  the  staff  employed  by  the
company  running  the  Clovis  cre‘che,  acting  in  accordance  with  the  contract  signed  with  this  company  in
June 1995. It has asked the management of the cre‘che to take what precautions it can for the good of the children,
pending the outcome of the investigations.

It goes without saying that there can be no question of sanctions until the judicial authorities have confirmed that
an offence has been committed.

(98/C 174/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3501/97

by Arthur Newens (PSE) to the Commission

(10 November 1997)

Subject: Experts group on family planning and HIV/AIDS

How many times did the Commission Experts Group on family planning and HIV/AIDS meet last year, and how
many times so far this year? What is the timetable for meetings in 1998?

What issues were on the agenda in 1997, and what was the outcome of these meetings?

Apart  from  the  Experts  Group  meetings  what  other  concrete  steps  are  being  taken  to  improve  coordination
between the European Commission and Member States in the field of family planning and HIV/AIDS?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 1997)

The  expert  group  on  the  human  immunodefenciency  virus  and  the  acquired  immune  deficiency  syndrome
(HIV/AIDS) met once in 1996 (31 May 1996) and twice in 1997 (21 March 1997 and 25 November 1997).

The  points  on  the  agenda  of  the  first  1997  meeting  included  innovative  approaches  concerning  reproductive
health; a study on (cid:145)Social marketing(cid:146); first phase of a study about free mobility of people living with HIV/AIDS;
main  conclusions  of  the  external  evaluation  on  AIDS  programme  with  specific  focus  on  the  strategy  of  the
regional programme; Council Regulation (EC) No 550/97 of 24 March 1997 (1) on HIV/AIDS related operations
in developing countries; policy related research results on HIV/AIDS as a collaborative effort between United
Nations programme on AIDS, the World bank and the AIDS programme; sharing valuable experiences related to
integration of reproductive health issues in particular HIV/AIDS and family planning in the context of health and
education  system;  operational  coordination;  and  the  legal  basis  for  the  HIV/AIDS  budget  line  discussed  in
Council and Parliament. The meeting decided to create a sub-group on HIV and care and this sub-group met once
in Brussels and once in Geneva. Its work continues.

The second 1997 meeting was organised in a special format because the Commission and the Parliament invited
the experts of the Member States to attend a meeting on (cid:145)The challenge of HIV/AIDS in developing countries(cid:146).

Apart from the expert group meetings, coordination efforts are undertaken regularly in a formal and informal
way in the country (in the field) as well as internationally. For example the Community has observer status at the
UNAIDS management meetings. In the framework of regular meetings with the Southern African development
community  the  Commission  participated  in  the  organisation  of  a  regional  meeting  on  HIV  where  an  action
programme was identified, and at country level regular meetings with Member States take place on health sector
subjects and when necessary concerning HIV, family planning or reproductive health.

(1)  OJ L 85, 27.3.1997.