EUR-Lex - 32003H0878 - EN Avis juridique important | 32003H0878 Council Recommendation of 2 December 2003 on cancer screening Official Journal L 327 , 16/12/2003 P. 0034 - 0038 Council Recommendationof 2 December 2003on cancer screening(2003/878/EC)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 152(4), second subparagraph, thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,Whereas:(1) Article 152 of the Treaty provides that Community action is to complement national policies and be directed towards improving public health, preventing human illness and diseases, and obviating sources of danger to human health. Such action shall cover the fight against the major health scourges, by promoting research into their causes, their transmission and their prevention, as well as health information and education. Community action in the field of public health shall fully respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care.(2) Further development of cancer screening programmes should be implemented in accordance with national law and national and regional responsibilities for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care.(3) Cancer is a major disease and cause of death throughout Europe, including the future Member States. An estimated number of 1580096 new cancer cases, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, occurred in the European Union in 1998. Of these, 1,4 % were cervical cancers, 13 % breast cancers, 14 % colorectal cancers and 9 % prostate cancers. Cervical and breast cancer constituted 3 % and 29 %, respectively, of new cancers in women. Prostate cancer constituted 17 % of new cancers in men.(4) Principles for screening as a tool for the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases were published by the World Health Organisation in 1968 and by the Council of Europe in 1994. These two documents form, together with the current best practice in each of the cancer screening fields, the basis for the present recommendations.(5) Additionally, these recommendations are based on the "Recommendations on cancer screening" of the Advisory Committee on Cancer Prevention together with the experience gathered under the different actions sustained under the Europe against Cancer programme where European collaboration has helped, for example, high quality cancer screening programmes to provide efficient European guidelines of best practice and to protect the population from poor quality screening.(6) Important factors which have to be assessed before a population-wide implementation is decided upon include, inter alia, the frequency and interval of the application of the screening test as well as other national or regional epidemiological specificities.(7) Screening allows detection of cancers at an early stage of invasiveness or possibly even before they become invasive. Some lesions can then be treated more effectively and the patients can expect to be cured. The main indicator for the effectiveness of screening is a decrease in disease-specific mortality. As in the case of cervical cancer, cancer precursors are detected, a reduction in cervical cancer incidence can be considered a very helpful indicator.(8) Evidence exists concerning the efficacy of screening for breast cancer and colorectal cancer, derived from randomised trials, and for cervical cancer, derived from observational studies.(9) Screening is, however, the testing for diseases of people for which no symptoms have been detected. In addition to its beneficial effect on the disease-specific mortality, screening can also have negative side effects for the screened population. Healthcare providers should be aware of all the potential benefits and risks of screening for a given cancer site before embarking on new population-based cancer screening programmes. Furthermore, for the informed public of today, these benefits and risks need to be presented in a way that allows individual citizens to decide on participation in the screening programmes for themselves.(10) Ethical, legal, social, medical, organisational and economic aspects have to be considered before decisions can be made on the implementation of cancer screening programmes.(11) Due account should be taken of specific needs of persons who may be at higher cancer risk for particular reasons (e.g. biological, genetic, lifestyle and environmental, including occupational).(12) The public health benefits and cost efficiency of a screening programme are achieved if the programme is implemented systematically, covering the whole target population and following best-practice guidelines.(13) The cost-effectiveness of cancer screening depends on several factors such as epidemiology, and healthcare organisation and delivery.(14) Systematic implementation requires an organisation with a call/recall system and with quality assurance at all levels, and an effective and appropriate diagnostic, treatment and after-care service following evidence-based guidelines.(15) Centralised data systems, including a list of all categories of persons to be targeted by the screening programme and data on all screening tests, assessment and final diagnoses, are needed to run organised screening programmes.(16) All procedures for collecting, storing, transmitting and analysing data in the medical registers involved must be in full compliance with the level of protection referred to in Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data(1), as well as in full compliance with the relevant provisions of Member States on the management and processing of health data in accordance with Article 8 of the Directive.(17) Quality screening includes analysis of the process and outcome of the screening and rapid reporting of these results to the population and screening providers.(18) This analysis is facilitated if the screening database can be linked to cancer registries and mortality databases.(19) Adequate training of personnel is a prerequisite for high quality screening.(20) Specific performance indicators have been established for cancer screening tests. These should be monitored regularly.(21) Adequate human and financial resources should be available in order to assure the appropriate organisation and quality control in all the Member States.(22) Action should be taken to ensure equal access to screening taking due account of the possible need to target particular socioeconomic groups.(23) It is an ethical, legal and social prerequisite that cancer screening should only be offered to fully informed people with no symptoms if the screening is proved to decrease disease-specific mortality, if the benefits and risks are well known, and if the cost-effectiveness of the screening is acceptable.(24) The screening methods which presently meet these strict prerequisites are listed in the Annex.(25) No screening test other than those listed in the Annex is scientifically justified to be offered to people with no symptoms in an organised population-based programme before it has been shown in randomised controlled trials to decrease disease-specific mortality in particular.(26) The screening tests listed in the Annex can only be offered on a population basis in organised screening programmes with quality assurance at all levels, if good information about benefits and risks, adequate resources for screening, follow-up with complementary diagnostic procedures and, if necessary, treatment of those with a positive screening test are available.(27) The introduction of the recommended screening tests in the Annex, which have demonstrated their efficacy, should be seriously considered, the decision being based on available professional expertise and priority-setting for healthcare resources in each Member State.(28) Once there is evidence that a new screening test is effective, evaluation of modified tests may be possible using other epidemiologically validated surrogate endpoints if the predictive value of these endpoints is established.(29) Screening methodologies are subject to ongoing development. The application of recommended screening methodologies should therefore be accompanied by simultaneous assessments of the quality, applicability and cost-effectiveness of new methods if available epidemiological data justify this. In fact, the ongoing work may lead to new methods, which could ultimately replace or complement the tests listed in the Annex or be applicable to other types of cancer,HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT MEMBER STATES:1. Implementation of cancer screening programmes(a) offer evidence-based cancer screening through a systematic population-based approach with quality assurance at all appropriate levels. The tests which should be considered in this context are listed in the Annex;(b) implement screening programmes in accordance with European guidelines on best practice where they exist and facilitate the further development of best practice for high quality cancer screening programmes on a national and, where appropriate, regional level;(c) ensure that the people participating in a screening programme are fully informed about the benefits and risks;(d) ensure that adequate complementary diagnostic procedures, treatment, psychological support and after-care following evidence-based guidelines of those with a positive screening test are provided for;(e) make available human and financial resources in order to assure appropriate organisation and quality control;(f) assess and take decisions on the implementation of a cancer screening programme nationally or regionally depending on the disease burden and the healthcare resources available, the side effects and cost effects of cancer screening, and experience from scientific trials and pilot projects;(g) set up a systematic call/recall system and quality assurance at all appropriate levels, together with an effective and appropriate diagnostic and treatment and after-care service following evidence-based guidelines;(h) ensure that due regard is paid to data protection legislation, particularly as it applies to personal health data, prior to implementing cancer screening programmes.2. Registration and management of screening data(a) make available centralised data systems needed to run organised screening programmes;(b) ensure by appropriate means that all persons targeted by the screening programme are invited, by means of a call/recall system, to take part in the programme;(c) collect, manage and evaluate data on all screening tests, assessment and final diagnoses;(d) collect, manage and evaluate the data in full accordance with relevant legislation on personal data protection.3. Monitoring(a) regularly monitor the process and outcome of organised screening and report these results quickly to the public and the personnel providing the screening;(b) adhere to the standards defined by the European Network of Cancer Registries in establishing and maintaining the screening databases in full accordance with relevant legislation on personal data protection;(c) monitor the screening programmes at adequate intervals.4. Trainingadequately train personnel at all levels to ensure that they are able to deliver high quality screening.5. Compliance(a) seek a high level of compliance, based on fully informed consent, when organised screening is offered;(b) take action to ensure equal access to screening taking due account of the possible need to target particular socioeconomic groups.6. Introduction of novel screening tests taking into account international research results(a) implement new cancer screening tests in routine healthcare only after they have been evaluated in randomised controlled trials;(b) run trials, in addition to those on screening-specific parameters and mortality, on subsequent treatment procedures, clinical outcome, side effects, morbidity and quality of life;(c) assess level of evidence concerning effects of new methods by pooling of trial results from representative settings;(d) consider the introduction into routine healthcare of potentially promising new screening tests, which are currently being evaluated in randomised controlled trials, once the evidence is conclusive and other relevant aspects, such as cost-effectiveness in the different healthcare systems, have been taken into account;(e) consider the introduction into routine healthcare of potentially promising new modifications of established screening tests, once the effectiveness of the modification has been successfully evaluated, possibly using other epidemiologically validated surrogate endpoints.7. Implementation report and follow-upreport to the Commission on the implementation of this Recommendation within three years of its adoption and subsequently at the request of the Commission with a view to contributing to the follow-up of this Recommendation at Community level.HEREBY INVITES THE COMMISSION:1. To report on the implementation of cancer screening programmes, on the basis of the information provided by Member States, not later than the end of the fourth year after the date of adoption of this Recommendation, to consider the extent to which the proposed measures are working effectively, and to consider the need for further action.2. To encourage cooperation between Member States in research and exchange of best practices as regards cancer screening with a view to developing and evaluating new screening methods or improving existing ones.3. To support European research on cancer screening including the development of new guidelines and the updating of existing guidelines for cancer screening.Done at Brussels, 2 December 2003.For the CouncilThe PresidentR. Maroni(1) OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.ANNEXSCREENING TESTS WHICH FULFIL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RECOMMENDATION(1):- pap smear screening for cervical cancer precursors starting not before the age of 20 and not later than the age of 30;- mammography screening for breast cancer in women aged 50 to 69 in accordance with European guidelines on quality assurance in mammography;- faecal occult blood screening for colorectal cancer in men and women aged 50 to 74.(1) The indicated age ranges are to be understood as maximum ranges; subject to national epidemiological evidence and prioritisation, smaller age ranges may be appropriate.

Summary: Promoting cancer screening in the EU Promoting cancer screening in the EU Cancer is a major disease and cause of death in Europe. The organisation and delivery of health services and medical care are national responsibilities, but the EU can complement those policies and help improve public health and tackle disease. ACT Council recommendation of 2 December 2003 on cancer screening (OJ L 327, 16.12.2003, pp. 34-38). SUMMARY WHAT DOES THE RECOMMENDATION DO? Screening makes it possible to detect cancers at an early stage, improving the chances of successful treatment. The recommendation urges EU countries to implement cancer screening programmes. It covers factors such as registering and managing screening data, monitoring the process and training of personnel. The European Commission reports on the implementation of these programmes, encourages national authorities to cooperate on research and best practice and helps develop guidelines on cancer screening. KEY POINTS Two Commission reports on implementation of the 2003 recommendation confirm that much progress has been made. All but four of the 28 EU countries (1) had a national cancer control plan in place before 2013. In 2014, the Commission set up a cancer control expert group to assist and advise it in this area. An initiative to produce a European guide on quality improvement in comprehensive cancer control was launched in 2014. A fourth version of the European code against cancer is being produced. European guidelines exist forbreast (2013), cervical (2007, updated in 2014) and colorectal (2010) cancer. According to current projections, well over 500 million screenings for these 3 cancers will have been carried out between 2010 and 2020. The Commission is developing a quality assurance scheme for breast cancer services. Between 2007 and 2014, the EU invested over €1.4 billion in cancer research. The Commission’s Joint Research Centre was given responsibility in 2012 for coordinating the European cancer information system. BACKGROUND The number of estimated cancer-related deaths in the EU in 2012 was 1.263 million. Lung cancer was the most common, followed by colorectal, breast and stomach cancer. In the same year, just over 2.6 million new cases of cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, were diagnosed. For more information, see ‘Major and chronic diseases’on the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety website. RELATED ACTS Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Implementation of the Communication from the Commission, from 24 June 2009, on Action Against Cancer: European Partnership (COM (2009) 291 final) and Second Implementation Report on the Council Recommendation of 2 December 2003 on cancer screening (2003/878/EC) (COM(2014) 584 final, 23.9.2014. Commission Decision of 3 June 2014 establishing a Commission expert group on Cancer Control and repealing Decision 96/469/EC (2014/C 167/05) (OJ C 167, 4.6.2014, pp. 4-8). last update 09.07.2015(1) The United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union and becomes a third country (non-EU country) as of 1 February 2020.


EUR-Lex - 32003D0822 - EN Avis juridique important | 32003D0822 2003/822/EC: Council Decision of 17 November 2003 on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission Official Journal L 309 , 26/11/2003 P. 0014 - 0021 Council Decisionof 17 November 2003on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission(2003/822/EC)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 37, 95, 133 and 152(4) in conjunction with the first subparagraph of Article 300(3) thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(1),Whereas:(1) The object of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is, inter alia, to develop and harmonise world-wide health standards and to issue guidelines and recommendations on agricultural and fishery products, foodstuffs, food additives and contaminants, feedstuffs, veterinary drugs, pesticides, including labelling, methods of analysis and sampling, codes of ethics and good agricultural practice and guidelines of hygiene practice, in view of protecting consumers' health and ensuring fair practices in international trade. These objectives are in line with the objectives of the European Community as regards measures taken to protect human, animal or plant life or health or the environment and related international trade measures, and harmonisation of national legislation, in particular as regards foodstuffs, food additives and contaminants, including labelling and methods of analysis and sampling, with a view to ensuring free circulation in the internal market and imports from third countries.(2) Since 1994, with the entry into force of the WTO Agreements, in particular the Agreement on the application of Sanitary and Phytosanirary Measures (SPS Agreement) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), Codex Alimentarius standards, guidelines and recommendations have acquired increased legal relevance by virtue of the reference made to the Codex Alimentarius in the WTO Agreements and the presumption of conformity which is conferred on relevant national measures when they are based on such standards, guidelines or recommendations adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.(3) The European Community should be able to exercise its competence and play its role during the preparation, negotiation and adoption of standards, guidelines or recommendations by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies. Accession of the European Community as a full member of Codex Alimentarius, alongside its Member States, is essential in order to ensure that the primary health and other interests of the European Community and its Member States are taken into consideration during the preparation, negotiation and adoption of such standards, guidelines or recommendations and other provisions by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.(4) The accession of the European Community as a full member of the Codex Alimentarius should help reinforce coherence between the standards, guidelines or recommendations and other provisions adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other relevant international obligations of the European Community.(5) On 26 November 1991, the European Community became a Member, alongside the Member States, of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).(6) Article 2 of the Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission entitles the European Community, as a Member of FAO, also to become a full Member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.(7) By Decision of 21 December 1993, the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate the conditions and modalities for the accession of the European Community as a full member to the Codex Alimentarius Commission on the basis of the competence of the European Community, its situation in the FAO and taking into account the object and particular features of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.(8) The rights and obligations of Member Organisations of the FAO can be applied, mutatis mutandis, to the membership of the European Community of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the appropriate decisions regarding the required adaptations of the relevant provisions of the rules of procedure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies have already been undertaken.(9) The outcome of the negotiations conducted by the European Commission is considered to be satisfactory taking into account the interests of the European Community and its Member States and the specific features of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.(10) It is necessary to provide for practical modalities concerning the participation of the European Community and its Member States in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies in a way that is likely to ensure the highest possible benefit for the European Community and its Member States from the Community's accession to the Codex Alimentarius.(11) In view of the above considerations it is now appropriate that the European Community accedes to the Codex Alimentarius Commission.(12) The Directors-General of FAO and WHO have approved the amendments to the Rules of Procedure adopted by the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on 30 June 2003, allowing Regional Economic Integration Organisations to become members of Codex,HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:Article 11. The European Community shall submit a request for accession to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, accompanied by a formal instrument according to which it accepts the obligations of the statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission as in force at the time of accession (Annex I hereto) and a single Declaration on exercise of competence (Annex II hereto).2. The President of the Council shall be responsible for completing the necessary procedures to this end.Article 2The Arrangement between the Council and the Commission regarding preparation for Codex Alimentarius meetings and statements and exercise of voting rights, attached as Annex III hereto, will apply between the Commission, the Council and the Member States.Done at Brussels, 17 November 2003.For the CouncilThe PresidentG. Alemanno(1) Opinion dated 7 November 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal).ANNEX IInstrument of accession to the Codex Alimentarius CommissionDear Sir,I have the honour to inform you that the European Community, as a Member of FAO, has decided to request accession to the Codex Alimentarius Commission. I, therefore, request you to accept this instrument, by which the European Community accepts the modified Rules of Procedure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in accordance with Rule II thereof, and the single Declaration by the European Community on the exercise of competence.The European Community formally and without reservation accepts the obligations arising from its membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, as set out in the Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and solemnly undertakes to fulfil the obligations in force at the time of its admission in all loyalty and conscience.I have the honour to be, Sir, yours faithfully,Alessandro PIGNATTIPresident-in-Office of the Council of the European UnionChair, Committee of Permanent Representatives(Part 1)Mr DioufDirector GeneralUnited Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Via delle Terme di Caracalla I - 00100 RomeANNEX IISingle Declaration by the European Community on the exercise of competence according to Rule VI of the Rules of Procedure of the Codex Alimentarius CommissionThis Declaration specifies the exercise of competence between the European Community and its Member States in matters covered by the instruments establishing the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It does not affect the speaking arrangement regarding the Community and its Member States.This Declaration applies to all meetings of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and any of its subsidiary bodies, unless the European Community decides or another Codex Alimentarius member requests in respect of any particular agenda item before the meeting to make a specific statement.Should the scope of the division of competence described below between the European Community and its Member States change, this Declaration will be updated accordingly.1. EUROPEAN COMMUNITY'S COMPETENCEAs a general rule, the European Community has exclusive competence for agenda items dealing with harmonisation of standards on certain agricultural products, foodstuffs, food additives, contaminants, veterinary drug, pesticides, fish and fishery products, including labelling, methods of analysis and sampling, as well as codes and guidelines of hygiene practice, insofar as the Community legislation has harmonised either completely or to a large extent the relevant fields in these areas, as well as issues of international trade to the extent that they are related to the objectives of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, notably to protecting the health of the consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade.2. MEMBER STATES' COMPETENCEAs a general rule, the Member States of the European Community have competence for agenda items dealing with organisational matters (e.g. legal or budgetary issues) and procedural issues (e.g. election of chairpersons, adoption of the agenda, adoption of reports).3. MEMBER STATE AND COMMUNITY COMPETENCEThe European Community and its Member States both have a priori competence in the following areas, to the extent that the measures envisaged in those areas fall within the scope of action of the Codex Alimentarius and where the Community has the power to harmonise but such areas have been harmonised in part only:(a) agricultural policy in general, including the harmonisation of standards for animal or plant life and health (Articles 32 to 38 of EC Treaty);(b) approximation of provisions laid down by laws, regulation or administrative action by the Member States in the areas of human, animal or plant life or health (Articles 94 and 95 of EC Treaty);(c) public health policy measures (Article 152 of EC Treaty) and consumer protection measures (Article 153 of EC Treaty);(d) policy on research and technological development (Articles 163 to 173 of EC Treaty);(e) environmental policy (Articles 174 to 176 of EC Treaty);(f) development policy (Articles 177 to 181 of EC Treaty);(g) other policies of the European Community that may concern even partially the specific activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.ANNEX IIIArrangement between the Council and the Commission regarding preparation for Codex Alimentarius Meetings and statements and exercise of voting rights1. Scope of application of the coordination procedureThese coordination procedures will apply to any meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission or any of its subsidiary bodies, including working groups and to replies to Circular Letters.2. Codex Alimentarius Circular Letters2.1. With the aim of respecting the deadline for replying to the Codex Circular Letters, the Commission shall send, at regular intervals not exceeding two months, to the Member States a table listing, separately, all outstanding, announced and anticipated Circular Letters, identifying those Circular Letters for which it intends to prepare a draft common reply on behalf of the Community and the time frame in which this will be done and giving as far as possible its opinion on the competence status for each of them.2.2. When the Commission indicates that a common reply is to be prepared, the Member States will refrain from answering directly the identified Codex Circular Letters but can point out to the Commission the specific issues or points that pose them a problem and the orientation they suggest to adopt in the reply.2.3. The Commission will prepare a draft common reply taking into account the indication of the Member States and will communicate the draft rapidly to the Member States for further comments through the national Codex Points of Contact or any specific point designated by Member States. The Commission, on the basis of the received comments, will prepare a revision of the common reply, indicating the received comments and explaining where applicable why some of them were not taken into consideration.2.4. A Member State may also indicate to the Commission that a particular Circular Letter needs a common reply. In such a case the Commission will prepare a draft reply with the technical assistance of this Member State.2.5. When the Commission considers that it is not necessary to prepare a common reply, the Member States are entitled to answer directly the Codex Circular Letters for which no common reply is foreseen. However, in this case, the Member States which intend to send comments directly will circulate a draft among the other Member States and the Commission before sending it to Codex in order to verify that there is no opposition from the Commission or any other Member State.2.6. The Commission and the Member States will make a serious effort to reach a common position as soon as possible. If the draft common reply is acceptable to the Member States, it will be sent to the secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius. But if there is still a substantial amount of divergence of opinion, the Commission will send the draft to the Council Secretariat for the purpose of organising a coordinating meeting to resolve the remaining differences, and the relevant procedure set out in section 3 below will apply.3. Coordination procedure in the Council3.1. To prepare for any Codex Alimentarius meeting, coordination meetings will be held:- in Brussels, within the competent Council Working Party (usually Codex Alimentarius Working Party), as early as possible and as many times as necessary ahead of the Codex Alimentarius meeting, and, in addition,- on-the-spot, particularly at the beginning and, if necessary, during and at the end of the Codex Alimentarius meeting, with further coordination meetings being called whenever necessary throughout the series of meetings.3.2. The coordination meetings will agree on statements to be made on behalf of only the Community or on behalf of the Community and its Member States. Statements to be made on behalf of the Member States only do not form part of the Community coordination as such, but may of course also be subject to coordination at these meetings if so agreed by the Member States.The Community or common positions are usually agreed upon in the form of a negotiating position, a statement or an outline of a statement. When reference is made in this arrangement to a "statement", it should be considered to refer also to other forms in which the Community or common position is agreed.3.3. The Commission will on receipt send any Codex Alimentarius meeting agenda to the Council Secretariat for circulation to Member States together with an indication of the agenda items on which it is intended that a statement be made and whether this statement will be made on behalf of the Community or the Community and its Member States.In the case of agenda items which may necessitate taking a decision by consensus or by a vote in a Codex Alimentarius meeting, the Commission will give an indication on whether it is the Community or its Member States who should vote.3.4. The Commission will send draft statements and position papers to the Council Secretariat for circulation to Member States as soon as possible but at least one week before the coordination meeting. For the preparation of draft statements or position papers, the Commission will rely on the technical expertise of the Member States. The Council Secretariat will ensure that the draft statements are transmitted promptly through the national Codex Points of Contact or any specific point designated by Member States.3.5. The coordination meetings will decide on the exercise of responsibilities with respect to statements and voting in relation to each item of the Codex Alimentarius meeting agenda, on which a statement may be made or a vote is expected.3.6. The Commission will inform Member States in advance of coordination meetings, through the Council Secretariat, of:(a) its proposals regarding the exercise of responsibilities on a particular topic;(b) its proposals in regard to statements on a particular topic.3.7. If the Commission and the Member States in coordination meetings within the competent Council Working Party or on the spot cannot agree a common position, including for reasons of disagreement on the repartition of competence, with regard to questions referred to in points 3.6(a) and (b), the matter will be referred to the Permanent Representatives Committee which shall decide on the basis of the majority laid down in the relevant Community law dealing with the subject matter under consideration.3.8. Decisions referred to in paragraph 3.7 are without prejudice to the respective competence of the Community and its Member States in the areas under consideration.3.9. Should it prove impossible on the part of the Commission to prepare statements in time for the coordination meeting (due to the non-availability of the Codex Alimentarius documentation), the Commission will outline to the Member States, at least one week before the Codex Alimentarius meeting, the main elements of a Community or common position and the statement to be made accordingly. When necessary in exceptional circumstances, an on-the-spot coordination meeting will examine again these elements and the statement with the representatives of the Commission and of the Member States present in the meeting.3.10. When during Codex Alimentarius meetings the need arises for a statement to be made, in order to respond to the evolution or the dynamics of the negotiations, by the Community representative on behalf of the Community or on behalf of the Community and its Member States, a draft statement will be coordinated on the spot and the relevant part of paragraph 3.9 will apply.3.11. During Codex discussions, in order to react to proposals not covered by the agreed Community position, Member States and the Commission after due coordination where possible shall be able to propose an initial response and explore alternative options without giving a formal commitment. The Commission and Member States shall pay full regard to the established Community position and its underlying rationale, and will coordinate on the spot as soon as possible to confirm or change the provisional positions.4. Statements and voting in the Codex Alimentarius meetings4.1. Where an agenda item deals with matters of exclusive Community competence, the Commission shall speak and vote for the Community. After due coordination, the Member States may also speak in order to support and/or develop the Community position.4.2. Where an agenda item deals with matters of exclusive national competence, Member States shall speak and vote.4.3. Where an agenda item deals with matters containing elements of both national and Community competence, the Presidency and the Commission shall express the common position. After due coordination, Members States may speak to support and/or develop the common position. The Member States or the Commission, as appropriate, will vote on behalf of the Community and its Member States in accordance with the common position. The decision on who will be voting is made in the light of where the preponderance of the competence lies (e.g. mainly Member State or mainly Community competence).4.4. Where an agenda item deals with matters containing elements both of national and of Community competence and the Commission and the Member States have not been able to agree a common position as referred to in point paragraph 3.7, Member States may speak and vote on matters falling clearly within their competence. In accordance with the Codex Alimentarius rules of procedure, the Commission may speak and vote on matters falling clearly within Community competence and for which a Community position has been adopted.4.5. On matters for which there is no agreement between the Commission and the Member States on repartition of competence, or where it has not been possible to obtain the majority needed for a Community position, a maximum effort will be made to clarify the situation or achieve a Community position. Pending this, and after due coordination, the Member States and/or the Commission, as appropriate, would be entitled to speak on condition that the position expressed will be coherent with Community policies and previous Community positions, and in conformity with Community law.4.6. During the first two years from the Community's accession to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the results of the coordination meetings in the competent Council Working Party on the exercise of responsibilities with respect to statements and voting in relation to each item of the Codex Alimentarius meeting agenda will be communicated to the Codex Alimentarius Secretariat. After the initial period of two years, the single, general Declaration made will be considered applicable, unless there is a specific request for clarification from another Codex Alimentarius member or it is decided otherwise in the competent Council Working Party.4.7. Within the framework of paragraph 4.1 or 4.3, where a Member State has particular important concerns in respect of a dependent territory, and this concern cannot be accommodated in a common or Community position, that Member State shall retain the right to vote and speak in respect of its dependent territory, bearing in mind the interests of the Community.5. Drafting and working groups5.1. The Member States and the Commission are entitled to participate voluntarily and speak in the drafting and working groups of the Codex Alimentarius which are technical informal meetings attended only by some members of the Codex Alimentarius and where no formal decisions are taken. The representatives of the Member States and the Commission will make a serious effort to reach an agreed position and to defend this during the discussions in drafting and working groups.5.2. The Commission and the Member State representatives participating in Codex drafting and working groups, without prejudice to the question of the competence, notify the other Member States promptly of draft reports drawn up by the group's rapporteur and coordinate with Member States regarding the position to be taken. In the absence of specific coordination on the draft reports, the Commission or Member State representatives on the drafting and working groups will use as orientation the coordinated statements and the coordination meeting discussions, as indicated in section 4.6. Review of the arrangementAt the request of a Member State or the Commission, the arrangement will be reviewed, taking account of experience gained from its operation.

Summary: Accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission Accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission The primary mission of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in international food trade, in particular by laying down standards, set out in the Codex Alimentarius. The accession of the European Community should help strengthen consistency between the standards, guidelines and recommendations adopted under the Codex and the other relevant international obligations binding on the European Community and its Member States in the area of food standards. ACT Council Decision 2003/822/EC of 17 November 2003 on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission [Official Journal L 309, 26.11.2003]. SUMMARY Context The Codex Alimentarius (or food code) is a joint programme of the FAO (the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation) and the WHO (World Health Organisation), which lays down food health standards that serve as a reference for international trade in foodstuffs. Since 1994 and the entry into force of the WTO Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), the legal relevance of the Codex standards has increased. Indeed these two Agreements make reference to those standards, meaning that the latter are used as the basis for the evaluation of national measures and regulations. At present, all Member States of the European Union (EU), and, since the end of 2003, the European Community as such are members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is the body in charge of updating the Codex. This Decision concerns the application of the European Community to accede to the CAC, achieved in 2003. It is accompanied by a declaration on the exercise of competence between the European Community and its Member States and by the text of the Arrangement between the Council and the Commission regarding preparation for meetings and statements and the exercise of voting rights within the CAC. Background to the accession negotiations Since Article 2 of the CAC's statutes authorises any FAO member to become a full member, the European Community started negotiations to that end in the mid-1990s. In January 1994, the Council authorised the Commission to enter into negotiations, on behalf of the Community, with the CAC Secretariat with a view to defining the conditions and procedures for the Community's accession. Discussions between the Commission and Council had since then been blocked by Member State concerns about internal coordination and the division of responsibilities. As a result of the White Paper on Food Safety, which reaffirmed the benefits of CAC membership, negotiations with the CAC Secretariat on accession conditions resumed during 2001. In June 2003, the CAC amended its Rules of Procedure allowing regional economic integration organisations to become members, thus opening the way to the accession of the European Community alongside its Member States. The Codex Alimentarius Commission: aims and mode of operation The CAC was created by the WHO and FAO in 1963 to implement their Joint Food Standards Programme aimed at protecting the health of consumers, ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by governmental and international organisations. Its main aim, then, is to define international standards, codes of practice and other guidelines and recommendations concerning agricultural and fishery products, foodstuffs, food additives, food contaminants, animal feed and the residues of veterinary products and pesticides as well as labelling, inspection and certification systems, analysis and sampling methods, ethics and good farming practice codes and food hygiene practices. These standards are then published in one of the Codex's 13 volumes: general requirements and general requirements for food hygiene; general texts on pesticide residues in food and maximum limits for same; residues of veterinary drugs in foods; foods for special dietary uses, including foods for infants and children; processed and quick-frozen fruits and vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables; fruit juices; cereals, pulses and derived products and vegetable proteins; fats and oils and related products; fish and fishery products; meat and meat products; soups and broths; sugars, cocoa products and chocolate and miscellaneous products; milk and milk products; methods of analysing and sampling. The CAC'S work also encourages food traders to voluntarily adopt ethical practices. To that end, the CAC has published a Code of ethics for international trade in food, which now forms part of the Codex. The CAC currently comprises 171 countries and holds meetings every year. It is helped in developing its standards by subsidiary bodies, which include committees dealing with horizontal matters (for example, general principles, labelling, food hygiene, food additives and contaminants, etc.), committees dealing with vertical matters, i.e. specialising in one type of product (for example, milk and milk products, fish and fishery products, etc.), "task forces" dedicated to a particular task of limited duration and regional coordinating committees. In addition, the experts' meetings organised and supported by the FAO and the WHO provide the essential scientific basis (risk assessment) for the CAC'S work and the publications resulting from their activities act as international references. There are three of these groups of experts, the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Activities of the European Community and its Member States within the CAC The CAC's Rules of Procedure now allow a member organisation to share its voting rights with its Member States in accordance with their respective competences. When the member organisation is entitled to vote, the number of votes it may cast is equal to the number of Member States present when the vote is taken, hence the importance of Member States being present. This rule is the result of a compromise reached with developing countries, which, in the interests of fairness, could not accept the vote of a country not present being counted. Competence is assigned as follows: the European Community has exclusive competence for matters on which the rules have already been harmonised, either fully or to a large extent, at Community level. In such cases, the Commission speaks and votes in the name of the Community, although Member States have the right to speak in favour of the Community position and to react to contributions from other countries; the Member States have exclusive competence for all organisational matters (for example, legal or budgetary questions) and for procedural matters (for example, the election of chairpersons, the adoption of agendas and the approval of minutes); competence is shared where rules have been only partially harmonised: the vote is exercised either by the Member States or the Community, depending on the degree of harmonisation achieved. In such cases, the Presidency and the Commission put forward the common position. Member States may also speak in order to support and/or develop the Community position and to react to contributions. Before each meeting of the CAC or of one of its subsidiary bodies, an annotated agenda, indicating who, within the organisation or its Member States, is competent for each item and is to exercise the right to vote, is drawn up and given to all participants. In addition, the Member States and the Commission have the right to participate in the Codex working groups and drafting committees and express their opinions there. Member State and Commission representatives endeavour to reach a common position and defend this during discussions in the working groups and drafting committees, The HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and the Codex Alimentarius The measures taken by the EU with regard to food safety and food frequently invoke the Codex as justification. This is true particularly of the HACCP principles, which are the basis of European legislation relating to food hygiene and official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption. These principles, developed by the CAC since the early 1990s, prescribe a number of stages to be followed throughout the production cycle in order to allow, on the basis of a risk analysis, the identification of critical points that need to be monitored to ensure food safety: identification of all risks to be avoided, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels; identification of the critical or limit points where surveillance becomes essential; establishment and application of effective procedures for monitoring critical points; adoption of corrective measures when monitoring reveals a critical point is being overstepped. Relationship between the WTO and the Codex Alimentarius When the WTO was set up in April 1994, two specific agreements were concluded in Marrakech to restrict barriers to trade justified on the basis of protectionist technical regulations: the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement); the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement). The SPS Agreement lays down the conditions on which a State can adopt and implement health measures (animal health, food safety) or phytosanitary measures (protection of plants) that have a direct or indirect impact on international trade. This Agreement makes explicit reference to the standards defined by the Codex to impose limits on the actions of the signatory States. Thus the preamble to this Agreement declares itself in favour of furthering "the use of harmonized sanitary and phytosanitary measures between Members, on the basis of international standards, guidelines and recommendations developed by the relevant international organisations, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission". The TBT Agreement aims to guarantee that technical regulations and standards do not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade. It too makes extensive reference to international standards, though without explicitly citing the Codex, in the context of the harmonisation that it advocates. References Act Entry into force Deadline for transposition in the Member States Official Journal Decision 2003/822/EC 17.11.2003 - OJ L 309 of 26.11.2003 See also For further information see the Internet site of the Codex Alimentarius. Last updated: 02.05.2005


EUR-Lex - 32003H0488 - EN Avis juridique important | 32003H0488 Council Recommendation of 18 June 2003 on the prevention and reduction of health-related harm associated with drug dependence Official Journal L 165 , 03/07/2003 P. 0031 - 0033 Council Recommendationof 18 June 2003on the prevention and reduction of health-related harm associated with drug dependence(2003/488/EC)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 152(4) thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee(3),Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(4),Whereas:(1) In accordance with Article 3(1)(p) of the Treaty, Community action is to include a contribution towards the attainment of a high level of health protection. The third subparagraph of Article 152(1) of the Treaty also makes provision for action in reducing drugs-related health damage, including information and prevention.(2) The European Council, meeting in Helsinki on 10 and 11 December 1999, endorsed the European Union Drugs Strategy 2000 - 2004 that covers all European Union drug-related activities and sets main targets. These targets include a substantial reduction over five years of the incidence of drug-related health damage (such as HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis) and the number of drug-related deaths.(3) The European Council, meeting in Santa Maria da Feira on 19 and 20 June 2000, endorsed the European Union Action Plan on Drugs 2000 - 2004 as a crucial instrument for transposing the European Union Drugs Strategy 2000 - 2004 into concrete actions which provide an effective integrated and multi-disciplinary response to the drug problem.(4) The Commission, in its Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the European Union Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2000 - 2004), considered a comprehensive approach that should cover all areas of drug abuse prevention, from discouraging the initial use to reducing the negative health and social consequences as the best strategy.(5) The European Parliament, in its Resolution on the abovementioned Communication welcomed the objective of reducing the number of deaths among addicts and called on the European Union and its Member States to encourage and develop damage limitation policies, without debarring individual Member States from adopting measures and pilot schemes in this area.(6) The programme of Community action on the prevention of drug dependence within the framework for action in the field of public health and the programme of Community action on the prevention of AIDS and certain other communicable diseases within the framework for action in the field of public health have supported projects aimed at preventing and reducing the risks associated with drug dependence, in particular by encouraging cooperation between the Member States, supporting their action and promoting coordination between their policies and programmes. Both programmes have been contributing to improving information, education and training aimed at preventing drug dependence and the associated risks, in particular, for young people and particularly vulnerable groups.(7) The decision of the European Parliament and of the Council adopting a programme of action in the field of public health (2003 - 2008) includes the development of strategies and measures on drug dependence, as one of the important lifestyle-related health determinants.(8) Since, according to research, the morbidity and the mortality associated with drug dependence affects a sizeable number of European citizens, the health-related harm associated with drug dependence constitutes a major problem for public health.(9) In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, any new measure taken in an area which does not fall within the exclusive competence of the Community, such as prevention and reduction of risks associated with drug dependence, may be taken up by the Community only if, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, the objectives proposed can be better achieved by the Community than by Member States. Prevention and reduction of risks associated with drug dependence cannot be confined to a geographical region or Member State and action therefore requires coordination at Community level.(10) Provisions should be made on reporting at national and Community level to monitor the measures taken by the Member States in this area, and the results thereof, and the way these Recommendations have been implemented.(11) The most important measure to reduce the risk associated with drug abuse is to prevent the abuse itself,HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT:1. Member States should, in order to provide for a high level of health protection, set as a public health objective the prevention of drug dependence and the reduction of related risks, and develop and implement comprehensive strategies accordingly.2. Member States should, in order to reduce substantially the incidence of drug-related health damage (such as HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis) and the number of drug-related deaths, make available, as an integral part of their overall drug prevention and treatment policies, a range of different services and facilities, particularly aiming at risk reduction; to this end, bearing in mind the general objective, in the first place, to prevent drug abuse, Member States should:1. provide information and counselling to drug users to promote risk reduction and to facilitate their access to appropriate services;2. inform communities and families and enable them to be involved in the prevention and reduction of health risks associated with drug dependence;3. include outreach work methodologies within the national health and social drug policies, and support appropriate outreach work training and the development of working standards and methods; outreach work is defined as a community-oriented activity undertaken in order to contact individuals or groups from particular target populations, who are not effectively contacted or reached by existing services or through traditional health education channels;4. encourage, when appropriate, the involvement of, and promote training for, peers and volunteers in outreach work, including measures to reduce drug-related deaths, first aid and early involvement of the emergency services;5. promote networking and cooperation between agencies involved in outreach work, to permit continuity of services and better users' accessibility;6. provide, in accordance with the individual needs of the drug abuser, drug-free treatment as well as appropriate substitution treatment supported by adequate psychosocial care and rehabilitation taking into account the fact that a wide variety of different treatment options should be provided for the drug-abuser;7. establish measures to prevent diversion of substitution substances while ensuring appropriate access to treatment;8. consider making available to drug abusers in prison access to services similar to those provided to drug abusers not in prison, in a way that does not compromise the continuous and overall efforts of keeping drugs out of prison;9. promote adequate hepatitis B vaccination coverage and prophylactic measures against HIV, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as screening for all the aforementioned diseases among injection drug users and their immediate social networks, and take the appropriate medical actions;10. provide where appropriate, access to distribution of condoms and injection materials, and also to programmes and points for their exchange;11. ensure that emergency services are trained and equipped to deal with overdoses;12. promote appropriate integration between health, including mental health, and social care, and specialised approaches in risk reduction;13. support training leading to a recognised qualification for professionals responsible for the prevention and reduction of health-related risks associated with drug dependence.3. Member States should consider, in order to develop appropriate evaluation to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of drug prevention and the reduction of drug-related health risks:1. using scientific evidence of effectiveness as a main basis to select the appropriate intervention;2. supporting the inclusion of needs assessments at the initial stage of any programme;3. developing and implementing adequate evaluation protocols for all drug prevention and risk reduction programmes;4. establishing and implementing evaluation quality criteria, taking into account the Recommendations of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA);5. organising standardised data-collection and information dissemination according to the EMCDDA recommendations through the REITOX national focal points;6. making effective use of evaluation results for the refining and development of drug prevention policies;7. setting up evaluation training programmes for different levels and audiences;8. integrating innovative methods that enable all actors and stakeholders to be involved in evaluation, in order to increase acceptance of evaluation;9. encouraging, in collaboration with the Commission, the exchange of programme results, skills and experience within the European Union and with third countries, especially the applicant countries.4. Member States should report to the Commission on the implementation of this Recommendation within two years of its adoption and subsequently on request by the Commission with a view to contributing to the follow-up of this recommendation at Community level and acting as appropriate in the context of the European Union Action Plan on Drugs.HEREBY INVITES the Commission to:- cooperate with the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and other relevant international organisations active in the field,- prepare a report, in accordance with the European Union Action Plan on Drugs and with the technical support of the EMCDDA, with a view to the revision and updating of this Recommendation, on the basis of the information submitted by the Member States to the Commission and the EMCDDA, and the latest scientific data and advice.Done at Luxembourg, 18 June 2003.For the CouncilThe PresidentG. Drys(1) Proposal of 17 May 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal).(2) Opinion delivered on 13 February 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal).(3) OJ C 61, 13.2.2003, p. 189.(4) OJ C 73, 26.3.2003, p. 5.

Summary: Prevention and reduction of risks associated with drug dependence Prevention and reduction of risks associated with drug dependence The aim of this Recommendation is to help achieve the second objective of the European Union Drugs Strategy (2000-2004), namely to attain a substantial reduction over five years of the incidence of drug-related health damage (such as HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis) and the number of drug-related deaths. ACT Council Recommendation 2003/488/EC of 18 June 2003 on the prevention and reduction of health-related harm associated with drug dependence [Official Journal L 165 of 3.07.2003]. SUMMARY This Recommendation encourages Member States to set as a public health objective the prevention of drug dependence and the reduction of related risks. It also envisages the following measures to reduce substantially the incidence of drug-related health damage (such as HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis) and the number of drug-related deaths: information and counselling for drug users, their families and the public; methods based on outreach work (local level, contact with specific target groups) as part of national drug policies; encouraging the involvement of peers and volunteers in outreach work; promoting professional networking; providing comprehensive substitution treatment (adequate psychosocial care, detoxification); preventing diversion of substitution substances; access for drug abusers in prison to services similar to those provided to drug abusers not in prison, in a way that does not compromise the continuous and overall efforts to keep drugs out of prison; promoting vaccination against hepatitis B and prophylactic measures against HIV, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as screening for all these diseases; provision of appropriate access to the distribution of condoms, needles and syringes and to exchange centres; provision of emergency services to deal with overdoses; organisation of appropriate integration between primary health care (including mental health care) and social care and specialised approaches in risk reduction; support for training and accreditation for risk reduction professionals. The Recommendation also proposes the development of appropriate evaluation based on: using scientific evidence of effectiveness as the main basis for selecting the type of intervention; the inclusion of needs assessments at the initial stage of any programme; developing and implementing adequate evaluation protocols for all programmes; establishing and implementing quality evaluation criteria, taking into account the Recommendations of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA); organising data collection and information dissemination according to the EMCDDA recommendations through the REITOX national focal points; the use of evaluation results to develop more effective policies; setting up evaluation training programmes; introducing innovative methods involving all actors and stakeholders; encouraging the exchange of skills, experience, programme results, etc. within the European Union and with the candidate countries. The Council asks the Member States to report to the Commission on the implementation of this Recommendation within two years of its adoption. It calls on the Commission to cooperate with the relevant international organisations (World Health Organisation, United Nations International Drug Control Programme, Pompidou Group, Council of Europe) in line with the EU Action Plan on Drugs (2000-2004), and to prepare a report, with the technical support of the EMCDDA, with a view to revising and updating this Recommendation. Background Endorsed by the Helsinki European Council in December 19999, the European Union Drugs Strategy (2000-2004) included three main targets: to reduce significantly over five years the prevalence of drug use, as well as new recruitment to it; to reduce substantially over five years the incidence of drug-related health damage (HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis) and the number of drug-related deaths; to increase substantially the number of successfully treated addicts. The EU Drugs Strategy gave rise to the EU Action Plan on Drugs (2000-2004), implemented in May 1999, one of the aims of which was to strengthen cooperation at national and European levels. The parallel Community Framework for Action in the field of Public Health (2003-2008), adopted in September 2002, includes the development of strategies to implement measures in this field. The present resolution was adopted as part of the follow-up to these various texts and to contribute to achieving the targets of the EU Drugs Strategy. RELATED ACTS The EU drugs action plan (2005-08) [Official Journal C 168 of 8.7.05]. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 22 October 2004 on the results of the final evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan on Drugs (2000-2004) [COM(2004) 707 final - Not published in the Official Journal]. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 4 November 2002 on the mid-term evaluation of the EU Action Plan on Drugs (2000-2004) [COM(2002) 599 final - Not published in the Official Journal]. Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting a programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008) [Official Journal L 271 of 09.10.2002]. European Union Drugs Strategy (2000-2004) of 1 December 1999 [Council document 12555/3/99 - Not published in the Official Journal]. Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 26 May 1999 on the European Union action plan to combat drugs (2000-2004) [COM(1999) 239 final - Not published in the Official Journal]. Decision No 102/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 adopting a programme of Community action on the prevention of drug dependence within the framework for action in the field of public health (1996-2000) [Official Journal L 19 of 22.01.1997]. Last updated: 26.01.2007