Activites

• 1997/06/16 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1997/05/29 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0278/1997 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the report on the status of non-conventional medicine by 152 votes to 125, with 28 abstentions. It should be noted from the outset that the rapporteur, Mr Paul LANNOYE (Greens, B), has withdrawn his name from the report, which he considers to be a misrepresentation due to the adoption of certain amendments - notably amendment 6 of Messrs Pedro APARICIO SANCHEZ (PSE, E) and Fernando PEREZ ROYO (PSE, E). The rapporteur had previously indicated that it was necessary to go beyond the "study" phase and consequently had called on MEPs to vote against the report. Responsibility for the report was ultimately taken by Mr Kenneth COLLINS (PSE, UK), who is Chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection. The report basically calls on the Commission to attach priority to conducting a thorough study into the safety, effectiveness, area of application and the complementary or alternative nature of all non-conventional medicines and to draw up a comparative study of the various national legal models to which non-conventional medical practitioners are subject. It also calls on the Commission, if the results of the investigation permit, to launch a process of recognizing non-conventional medicine and, to this end, to take the necessary steps to encourage the establishment of appropriate committees. The report further urged the Commission, in formulating European legislation on non-conventional forms of medicine, to make a clear distinction between non-conventional medicines which are 'complementary' in nature and those which are 'alternative' medicines in the sense that they replace conventional medicine. It additionally calls on the Commission: - to ensure that the forms of therapy used in non-conventional medicine do not make use of medicines made from the organs of threatened animal species, which would encourage the illegal trafficking of such organs, - to submit a report as soon as possible to the Council and European Parliament on the results of the studies and research already carried out under budget item B-7142, which is earmarked for research into the effectiveness of homeopathy and other non-conventional medicines, - to submit a draft directive on food supplements which are frequently situated on the border between dietary and medicinal products. Such legislation should in fact help guarantee good manufacturing practice with a view to consumer protection, without restricting freedom of access or choice. Finally, Parliament called on the Council, on completion of the preliminary work referred to in its resolution, to promote the development of research programmes in this field, covering the individual and holistic approach, the preventive role and the specific characteristics of the non-conventional medical disciplines. For its part, it undertakes to do likewise. �

• 1997/05/28 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1997/02/27 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0075/1997
• 1995/01/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1994/09/06 Non-legislative basic document published
  • B4-0024/1994

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: B4-0024/1994
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0075/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0278/1997

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)