The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted a recommendation for 2nd reading in the report drafted by Karin SCHEELE (PSE, AT), and approved the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work.
It should be recalled that, in 1st reading in November 2007, the European Parliament adopted 12 amendments to the Commission proposal. Most of the amendments dealt with horizontal issues, like the inclusion of gender and age in the breakdown variables and the use of additional and complementary financing provided by certain Community programmes in the two areas covered by the Regulation. Parliament also called for the coordination of Community statistical activities with those of relevant international organisations. Some amendments were adopted to the annexes dealing exclusively either with public health or health and safety at work, such as the collection of data on the protection against pandemics and transmissible diseases.
In subsequent negotiations with the Slovenian Presidency it was agreed that almost all amendments adopted by the European Parliament were to be incorporated in the common position, either fully or in a slightly modified form. The Council also made some other acceptable changes to the text.