01/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The decision to prorogue until 31 December 2002 six action programmes in the field of public health, which should respectively expire on 30 December 2000 or 2001, was formally adopted by the Council. Concerned are: the programme for the promotion of health, information, education and health training; the plan to fight against cancer; the AIDS and certain transmissible diseases prevention programmes; the prevention programme for drug dependency; the health and diseases linked to pollution monitoring programme.
This prorogation will allow to avoid any interruption of the actions undertaken in these fields, the time for the entry into force of the new global programme for the improvement of health in the Union, submitted to the EP/Council codecision procedure. The decision was adopted without debate, the amendments from the Parliament having all be approved by the Health Council, last 14 December.