17.3.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 791 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) DECISION No 521/2001/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 February 2001 extending certain programmes of Community action in the field of public health adopted by Decisions No 645/96/EC, No 646/96/EC, No 647/96/EC, No 102/97/EC, No 1400/97/EC and No 1296/1999/EC and amending those Decisions THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 152 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Having consulted the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1) A number of programmes of Community action within the framework for action in the field of public health are to expire shortly. (2)  The following expire at the end of 2000: — the programme of Community action on health promotion, information, education and training, adopted by Decision No 645/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (%), — the action plan to combat cancer, adopted by Decision No 646/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (%), — the programme of Community action on the preven- tion of AIDS and certain other communicable diseases, adopted by Decision No 647/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (%), — the programme of Community action on the preven- tion of drug dependence, adopted by Decision No () O] C 365 E, 19.12.2000, p. 135. (*) Opinion delivered on 29 November 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 13 December 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 29 January 2001. () O] L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 1. () O] L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 9. () O] L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 16. 102/97[EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (). 3)  The following expire at the end of 2001: — the programme of Community action on health monitoring, adopted by Decision No 1400/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (¥), — the programme of Community action on pollution- related diseases, adopted by Decision No 1296/ 1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (°). 4) In its Resolution of 8 June 1999 on the future Community action in the field of public health ('), the Council stressed the need for continuity of Community action in the field of public health in the light of the perspective of expiry of existing programmes. 5  In its Communication of 15 April 1998 to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the development of public health policy in the European Community, the Commission indicated that existing public health programmes will be coming to an end from the end of year 2000 onwards and stressed that there is a need to ensure that there is no vacuum in Community policy in this important field. The subse- quent debate on that communication resulted in a consensus among the Community institutions in favour of developing a new health strategy with an overall public health programme of action. 6)  While a new strategy and proposals for a new, overall, public health programme are being considered, the present programmes in the public health area should be extended until the end of 2002 in order to avoid any interruption in the Community action concerned. L 19, 22.1.1997, p. 25. ) O] % O] L 193, 22.7.1997, p. 1. ) O] L 155, 22.6.1999, p. 7. 0