WRITTEN QUESTION E-1674/99 by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Self-medication.
Date: 1999-09-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: health policy, medicinal product, pharmaceutical legislation, public health

C 170 E/70

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

3. whether specific research has been carried out on art in the EU and its repercussions on employment;

4. what its general views on the subject are?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 1999)

The EC Treaty gives the Community jurisdiction in the field of the arts. According to Article 151
(ex Article 128), action by the Community shall be aimed at encouraging cooperation between Member
States, shall contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while respecting their
national and regional diversity, and shall foster cooperation with third countries and the competent
international organisations in the sphere of culture.

Community action to promote culture has
so far
programmes (Kaleidoscope, Ariane and Raphaºl) and,
((cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146)) is currently being approved by the institutions.

taken the form of
three
for the future, a new framework programme

the adoption of

1.
In full accordance with the EC Treaty and the principle of subsidiarity, the main objective of
programmes in support of culture, based on Article 151 (ex Article 128) of the EC Treaty, has been (cid:129)
and will continue to be (cid:129) to encourage cooperation between Member States in the cultural sphere.

As a result, in practice, Community action does not aim to support the work of individual artists; instead,
it supports projects which show real European added value and involve cooperation between several
parties (institutions, organisations, groups of individuals) from at least three different Member States.

It is important to note that Community action supports individual artists only in the specific context of
certain European prizes (e.g. the Aristeion Prizes for literature and translation and the Mies van der Rohe
Prize for European architecture).

2.
As Article 151 of the EC Treaty also constitutes the legal basis of the new (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) framework
programme (cid:129) currently being approved by the institutions (cid:129) the principal objectives of this programme
must necessarily remain the same.

On 14 May 1998 the Commission published a working document on (cid:145)Culture, the Cultural Industries

3.
and Employment(cid:146) (1).

The Commission recently expressed an opinion on the future of Community action in the cultural
4.
sphere in its communication (2) to Parliament concerning the common position of the Council on the
establishment of a single financing and programming instrument for cultural cooperation,
in (cid:145)Culture
2000(cid:146), the first Community framework programme.

(1)
(2)

SEC(98) 837.
SEC(1999) 1227 final.

(2000/C 170 E/079)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1674/99

by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 September 1999)

Subject: Self-medication

In a resolution on an industrial policy for the pharmaceutical sector adopted by the European Parliament
on 16 April 1996 (A4-0104/96 (1)), self-medication is described as an important element in a long-term
policy for health. This position is in line with that adopted by the Commission, notably in its commu-
nication of 1 June 1994 regarding a programme of Community action on health promotion, information,
education and training within the framework for action in the field of public health.

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/71

With Parliament(cid:146)s support, the Commission has been advocating wider use of responsible self-medication
in recent years. This approach reflects people(cid:146)s willingness to take greater responsibility for their own
health, and has already significantly eased the burden on social security schemes.

Does the Commission intend to continue to pursue this policy and further improve the regulatory
framework for non-prescription medicines?

(1) OJ C 141, 13.5.1996, p. 63.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 1999)

The Commission shares the view expressed by the Honourable Member that responsible self medication
and the existence of an appropriate regulatory frame for non-prescription medicinal products ((cid:145)over the
counter(cid:146) (OTC) products) is an important issue which deserves particular attention. The Commission notes
that Community pharmaceutical legislation already provides for a detailed legal framework concerning the
placing on the market of medicinal products in the Community and that the current legal situation can be
considered as satisfactory.

There is, however, always scope for improvement. According to Article 71 of Regulation (EEC) 2309/93 of
22 July 1993 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal
products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the Evaluation of
Medicinal Products (1), the Commission will publish, before the end of 2001, a general report on the
experience acquired as a result of the operation of the new marketing authorisation systems for medicinal
legislation
products. This general report will be the basis for a review of Community pharmaceutical
including the rules applicable to OTC-products.

This comprehensive review of Community pharmaceutical
legislation will have to consider issues of
particular importance for OTC products including the functioning of the mutual recognition procedure
(in particular the inclusion of legal status in the process of mutual recognition), the scope of products
eligible for the centralised procedure, the classification of medicinal products into OTC and prescription-
only products (currently included in Council Directive 92/0026/EEC of 31 March 1992 concerning the
classification for the supply of medicinal products for human use) (2) and the requirements and conditions
for advertising of OTC-products (currently included in Directive 92/0028/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the
advertising of medicinal products for human use) (3)

In addition, the Commission supports actions that promote the availability of sound advice and the
dissemination of accurate information as regards self-medication, in the framework of its programme on
health promotion, information, education and training. In this context special attention is being paid to
strengthening the role of health professionals in the area of health promotion, including self-medication,
and to better defining indications suitable for self-medication.

(1) OJ L 214, 24.8.1993.
(2) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.
(3) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.

(2000/C 170 E/080)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1676/99

by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Council

(22 September 1999)

Subject: Hunting season for migratory bird species

Council Directive 79/0409/EEC (1) on the conservation of wild birds sets out the European Union(cid:146)s
commitment to conserving all species of wild birds occurring naturally in the European territory of the
Member States.