EU public health programme gets longer lease of life
The current EU public health programme will run for a further two years, according to Commission reports. It has decided to extend the lifetime of the programme as the co-decision procedure on a new public health programme, proposed by the Commission earlier this year, may not be completed before some of the existing programmes expire in 2000 and 2001. The programme covers health promotion, information, education and training, an action plan to combat cancer and programmes for the prevention of AIDS and a number of other communicable diseases. In 2002, the existing programme will be replaced by a new overall health strategy, including an action programme proposed by the Commission in May.