Health and social policy: participation of Bulgaria in the Community programmes

1998/0153(CNS)
OBJECTIVE: as part of the pre-accession strategy, the opening of certain Community programmes in the field of health to Bulgaria (combating cancer and Aids prevention) for the period 1998 to 2000. SUBSTANCE: the proposal for a decision of the EC-Bulgaria Association Council establishes the conditions and arrangements for the participation of this country in two Community programmes in the field of health: the programme on combating cancer and the programme on the prevention of aids and other communicable diseases. In particular Bulgaria will: - take part in all the activities of these programmes on the same terms as the Member States and in accordance with the objectives, criteria and procedures laid down by these programmes; - apply as far as possible the same conditions and arrangements for submission, assessment and selection of applications as those which apply in the Member States; - provide for a minimum number of partners from the Member States for all the proposed transnational activities and projects; - make a financial contribution to the Community's budget by virtue of its participation in these two programmes. This contribution will cover the financial aid granted to Bulgarian participants in relation to their participation in the two programmes and the supplementary costs of an administrative nature related to the management of the programmes by the Commission. This contribution will vary depending on the programme and is paid annually. The Community will pay part of this contribution by taking the sums needed from the annual funding for Phare/Bulgaria. The Phare contribution will not however cover the equivalent of the administrative sums relating to the management of the programmes by the Commission, which will remain entirely the responsibility of the Bulgarian national budget. In total this financial contribution will amount to ECU 381 699 for the three years under consideration (of which ECU 214 038 under Phare). Bulgaria will be associated with the monitoring of its participation in the cultural programmes in preparation for the Community decision-making process on accession (in particular by participation in the coordination meetings prior to the meetings of the programme committees and by being informed about the results). The participation of Bulgaria will be valid for the duration of the programmes (i.e. until 31 December 2000). �