Public health is still a policy for national governments, yet action at European level is often the best solution for improving the health of Europe's citizens. This requires adequate funding. The EP Committee on the Environment and Public Health is proposing that the EU budget in this area be increased by 10% and that the goals of the action programme for health be made more precise.

To do better and more with less money, taking account of budget constraints: this is the issue in the debate on the Community action programme for health for 2007-2013. In a second-reading report on this topic by Antonios Trakatellis (EPP-ED, EL) adopted by the Environment and Public Health Committee on Tuesday, MEPs responded to the position of the Council, which has taken on board certain points proposed by Parliament but without conceding an increase in the funds available to the EU for common measures in the field of health.

"The financial means contradict the goals laid down in the programme", said Mr Trakatellis. MEPs voted on Tuesday to reinstate some of the first-reading amendments rejected by Member States and for the funding to be increased. The Council "should be flexible if it wants to avoid conciliation", warned Mr Trakatellis.

Goals and content of the programme

Improving the health of Europe's citizens is a goal in itself which must take account of the ageing of the population and the need to combat threats to the environment and health - such as bioterrorism, exposure to chemicals and epidemics - or illnesses related to injuries and accidents (avoidable if precautionary measures are taken). From the outset the EP has backed this programme though it has expanded the list of goals to include EU measures in the field of rare illnesses and major diseases such as cardio-vascular diseases and cancer. In Tuesday's vote, MEPs reinstated the proposal for registers of major diseases to be set up.

Although health policy and healthcare systems are a matter for Member States, the EU can play a role in identifying and swapping best practice, data and information on ailments and medicines as well as in promoting healthy lifestyles, say MEPs. It is also possible, through a joint decision of Council and Parliament, to encourage Member States to engage in better crossborder cooperation, for example on combating epidemics and pandemics, or on patient mobility (points reinstated by the committee), on research (including in complementary and alternative medicine) and on patient access to information.

MEPs also see the programme as a way of promoting policies to reduce inequalities in health and of encouraging investment in health.

Funding

At first reading the EP increased the funding for the programme to €1,500 million but the Financial Perspective adopted in 2005 reduced the possible figure to €365,600,000. The Environment and Health Committee is now calling for this amount to be increased by 10%, to €402,160,000. MEPs also adopted amendments raising the possibility of increasing the funding over the first two or three years of the programme and of using the budgetary flexibility instrument to finance expenditure which cannot be funded within the existing limits.

It is above all the budgetary proposals which, in the event of Council opposition, would have to be thrashed out in conciliation with Parliament. The report may come up for its plenary vote in June but this is optimistic and July is more likely.