WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1485/97 by Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS to the Commission. Innovative pharmaceutical products
22. 1. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 21/59 (98/C 21/146) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1485/97 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (30 April 1997) Subject: Innovative pharmaceutical products In reply to Question E-2093/95 (1), Commissioner Bangemann stated that the committee set up under Directive 89/105/EEC (2) had instructed a working party to investigate the question of unusually high prices for innovative products and to clarify certain concepts such as áinnovative pharmaceutical productsí and áexcessive pricesí. Has the working party given its opinion on the above matters? If so, what is the definition of áinnovative pharmaceutical productsí and of áexcessive pricesí? (1) OJ C 311, 22. 11. 1995, p. 33. (2) OJ L 40, 11. 2. 1989, p. 8. Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (11 June 1997) The committee set up under Directive 89/105/EEC (1) (the transparency committee) instructed a working party to examine the question of excessive prices of innovative medicines. That working party has met three times and has considered a paper produced by the Danish competition authorities about the pricing and reimbursement of a particular product within the Community. It has been possible to use data collected over a period of time to note the impact of different public health policies, and the effect of currency movements on the use of innovative medicines. During the working party discussions, it has been clear that the subject cannot easily be separated from the broader question of developing pricing and reimbursement strategies for all pharmaceutical products which reconcile objectives in health and industrial policy with progress towards a single european market in the pharmaceutical sector. It has also been clear that the definition of terms such as áinnovativeí and áexcessive pricesí is closely linked to approaches taken to these broader issues. Accordingly discussion has been subsumed for the time being within the process launched at the round table in Frankfurt in December 1996. Informal working parties involving representatives of industry as well as the governments of Member States are studying possible solutions to the full range of issues, including the pricing of innovative products. The transparency committee is involved in taking forward the matter at all stages, and will decide on the future of the working party following the second round table, to be held in December 1997. (1) OJ L 40, 11. 2. 1989. (98/C 21/147) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1489/97 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE) to the Council (30 April 1997) Subject: Structural funds Is it possible under the Treaty on European Union that structural funds might be used to finance specific operations in non-Union countries? If so, what restrictions apply to such financing? Answer (6 August 1997) As the Honourable Member will probably know, the Treaty establishing the European Community provides that the Structural Funds shall support the Communityís action to strengthen its economic and social cohesion