” “At this week’s plenary meeting, the EU Parliament also outlined an agreement with the Council on the second EU Action Plan regarding health. At first, Parliament had asked for 1.5 billion euros for the period 2007/2013, but such funds have been reduced to just about 300 million. This broke the deadlock in the implementation of the plan, which will come into force on 1st January 2008. The Greek MEP Antonios Trakatellis, however, explained that the EU "works to raise extra funds every year". The goals of the EU action plan in this area include "the reduction of differences in health care and across-the-border cooperation in the sphere of patients’ treatments and mobility". The resolution also concerns "alternative or substitutive medicine" and the "prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of major diseases". Under the principle of subsidiariety, the health system is the responsibility of each member state, but, specified the speaker, "in some spheres, a EU-wide action can be justified". Examples include epidemics, exposure to chemicals, prevention of industrial accidents.” “
