ABSTRACT
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES,
MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,
Having regard to the Treaties establishing the European Communities, Having regard to the draft resolution submitted by the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, Whereas, at its meetings in June 1985 in Milan and in December 1985
in Luxembourg, the European Council underlined the advantages of launching a European programme against cancer;
Whereas, at its meeting in December 1986 in London, the European Council decided that 1989 should be designated ‘European Cancer Information Year’ and specified that the aim would be to develop a sustained and concerted information campaign in all the Member States on the prevention, early screening and treatment of cancer;
Whereas the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, adopted on 7 July 1986 a resolution on a programme of action of the European Communities against cancer which is concerned principally with cancer prevention;
Whereas the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, adopted on 21 June 1988 Decision 88/351/ EEC on a 1988 to 1989 action plan for an information and public awareness campaign in the context of the ‘Europe against Cancer programme;
Whereas various Community measures to prevent cancers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation or to chemical carcinogens are already
being implemented under the Treaties establishing the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community;
Whereas measures to reduce the risk of cancer from exposure to carcinogens are included in a number of existing Community programmes on the environment, worker protection, consumer protection, nutrition, agriculture and the internal market;
Whereas the right to health is a natural right and every European citizen has the right to the most appropriate treatment, regardless of social position;
Whereas the purpose of this action plan is to increase knowledge of the causes of cancer and the possible means of preventing and treating it;
Whereas occupational cancers account for 4% of all cancers and cause 30,000 deaths per year;
Whereas, by ensuring wider dissemination of knowledge of the causes, prevention, screening and treatment of cancer, as well as an improvement in the comparability of information about those matters, in particular concerning the nature and degree of risk of cancer arising from exposure to given substances or processes, the programme will contribute to the achievement of Community objectives while contributing to the overall reduction of risks of cancer;
Whereas it is advisable to promote the dissemination and the implementation of recommendations on the oncology content of training programmes which were approved in 1988 by the three advisory committees on the training of members of the health professions;
Whereas recognition must be given to the crucial role of members of the health professions and whereas theoretical and practical training for all professions and individuals involved in the prevention of cancer and the treatment of cancer sufferers must be encouraged in accordance with the conclusions of the European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer;
Whereas it is the view of the World Health Organization that palliative care can provide extremely valuable support both for patients for whom all treatment has failed and for their families; whereas such care should therefore be given recognition and assistance;
Whereas it is advisable to support training actions in respect of cancer for members of the health professions of one Member State in centres of excellence in another Member State;
Whereas encouragement should be given to information campaigns, in schools as well as elsewhere, on cancer and its prevention;
Whereas duplication of effort should be avoided by the promotion of exchanges of experience and by the joint development of basic information modules for the public, for health education and for training members of the health professions;
Whereas efforts should be made to achieve advances in treatment through controlled clinical tests;
Whereas public health policy as such, except in cases where the Treaties provide otherwise, is the responsibility of Member States but whereas promoting co-operation and the co-ordination of national activities as well as the stimulation of Community activities in this field makes a valuable contribution to the fight against cancer;
Whereas it is advisable to continue and strengthen, from 1990 to 1994, the action undertaken between 1987 and 1989 in the fields of prevention, information and health education, and training of members of the health professions,
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
1. The Commission shall implement the 1990 to 1994 action plan set out in the Annex in close co-ordination with the competent authorities of the Member States.
