Council conclusions of 29 June 2000 on Medicinal Products and Public Health
Date: 2000-06-29
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU Member State, European conference, cooperation policy, medicinal product, public health

C 218/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

31.7.2000

COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS

of 29 June 2000

on Medicinal Products and Public Health

(2000/C 218/04)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(1) TAKES NOTE of

the debates at

the conclusions of

the
European Conference on Medicinal Products and Public
Health held at Lisbon on 11 and 12 April 2000 on the
future of
the European System for Evaluation and
Supervision of Medicinal Products, the relevance of the
added therapeutic value of medicinal products, aspects
determining innovation and research, the rational use of
medicinal products, the importance and evolution trends
for the information systems for medicinal products, the
increasing use of generic medicines and the key issues on
veterinary medicinal products.

level, of

(2) UNDERLINES the continuing need for regulation, at the
the
appropriate national or Community
pharmaceutical sector to reconcile private supply and
social objectives. Policy must ensure the widest possible
to appropriate medicines and respond to the
access
challenges of dynamic pharmaceutical markets,
taking
European
significance
into
pharmaceutical industry as an efficient leading technology
sector with high creation of added value, providing
qualified jobs.
the Community has an
opportunity, within the powers provided for by the
Treaty, to assist Member States in their efforts to pursue
public health and industrial policy objectives. This is
particularly important in the context of enlargement.

In this context

account

the

the

of

(3) STRESSES the fact

that

the forthcoming review of

the
Community legislation on pharmaceuticals should take
fully into account that the centralised and decentralised
authorisation procedures are and must be based on the
principle of
involvement of
Member States in the authorisation process.

cooperation and close

(4) UNDERLINES

that

identification

of medicines with
significant added therapeutic value is of great importance
to promote innovation, which is vital not only from a
health-protection perspective but also from an industrial
policy viewpoint and that this requires relevant basic and
applied research, both at national and Community level.

(5) RECALLS the importance of actions in the framework of
the strategy against antibiotic resistance as suggested in
the resolutions adopted by the Council at
its meeting
on 8 June 1999 (Health) and 12 December 1999
(Agriculture).

(6) POINTS OUT that given that the increasing demands on
health care put great pressures on available resources, it is
imperative that expenditure on medicines,
like all other
areas of health care is assessed to ensure that it provides a
rational use of medicinal products, and considers that
collaboration between Member States to share experience
and develop evaluation methodologies can be of great
value in this regard.

(7) CONSIDERS it important to develop databases to provide
industry-independent information on medicines to health
professionals and also, as appropriate, to the public, for
example on generic drugs. This should be done in parallel
with the extension of existing information systems.

(8) STRESSES that the promotion of the use of generics can
in reducing pharmaceutical
have an important
expenditure by promoting cost-effective use. The use of
generics
creates headroom in pharmaceutical
expenditure to help pay for new innovative products.

impact

also

(9) POINTS OUT that issues in relation to quality, safety and
efficacy arise in respect of medicinal products for use in
in the same way as for human
the veterinary field,
medicines. Moreover
the consumer of
the safety of
animal-derived products,
the safe usage of veterinary
medicinal products, policies on the eradication of certain
the possible diffusion into the
infectious diseases,
environment and protection against some misuses, have
also to be considered.

(10) INVITES

the Commission to take

the
abovementioned considerations where they are relevant to
drawing up detailed plans and implementation strategies

account of

31.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 218/11

the new programme on public health and the
on

review of Community

legislation

for
forthcoming
pharmaceuticals.

and exchange of experience between Member States,
using the full range of possibilities for action under the
Treaty.

(11) URGES the Commission in carrying forward its broad
health strategy,
for
Community action in relation to medicinal products and
public health, particularly action to promote cooperation

full potential

to exploit

the

(12) ENCOURAGES
support

the Member
full
so such policies
implementation at national and Community level.

to provide
facilitate

States

and

their
their