Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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# 92001E1727

**WRITTEN QUESTION E-1727/01 by John Bowis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Rare diseases.** 
  
*Official Journal 081 E , 04/04/2002 P. 0053 - 0054*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1727/01

by John Bowis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Rare diseases

What is the position of rare diseases in the Public Health framework? How will the Commission ensure action on such diseases and what further calls will there be for proposals in this area?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2001)

The programme of Community action for 1999-2003 on rare diseases represents an important step in the consolidation of the Community policy for this area of public health. This programme was adopted by Decision of the European Parliament and the Council on 29 April 1999(1) and is one of the eight programmes of Community action in public health.

During the forthcoming months a common call for proposals for 2002 for the eight existing programmes will be published, including a call for proposals on rare diseases. In implementing these programmes, the Commission will ensure that actions undertaken are complementary and consistent with the scope and the objectives of the Community's Health strategy and the proposed new Public Health programme(2), which was proposed last year with a view to achieving a better focused approach and synergy between various actions. This programme will replace all the eight existing public health programmes.

The new programme has three main strands of actions:

- Improving health information;

- Responding rapidly to health threats;

- Addressing health determinants.

Once the new Public Health programme will be adopted, the current eight programmes will be repealed. Work on rare diseases will be continued under the new programme.

The Community strategy in the domain of rare diseases has been developing also in two other policy areas:

- Research on rare diseases conducted within the Community Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development; the proposal for the next Framework Programme (2002-2006), as was the case for the 5th, contains an explicit reference to rare diseases,

- Pharmaceutical policy; the Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of 16 December 1999, on orphan medicinal products(3) is now an acquis communautaire that is producing concrete benefits for rare diseases patients.

(1) No 1295/99/EC (OJ L 155, 22.6.1999, p. 1).

(2) COM(2000) 285 (final) of 16.5.2000.

(3) OJ L 18, 22.1.2000.

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