Brussels, 26/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Thursday (Charlemagne Building), the European Commission is organising an international round table on stepping up the fight against communicable diseases in developing countries, sponsored by the WHO and the UN AIDS programme. This meeting at the highest level, at which over 150 participants are expected (representing research bodies, the pharmaceutical industry, civil society from some forty developing countries and Member states of the Union, as well as MEPs) comes only a few days after the adoption of the framework action defined by the Commission in its communication on the subject (see EUROPE of 21 September, p.9). "The aim of this round table is to invite all interested parties to express their points of view on our political guidelines to contribute, at an early stage, to the elaboration of a programme against tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria, reach a consensus on priorities, find agreement for working together and increase the financial effort, said Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for development policy. Stressing the "need to go beyond the traditional aid instruments and identify the partners able to offer alternative solutions," he aid that there was many possibilities to explore: pharmaceutical products at affordable prices, supply of preservatives and mosquito nets, the prophylactic treatment of pregnant women, increased investment into research. Etc., without, of course, forgetting prevention.