While international politics continues to dominate the front pages of newspapers, parlamentary life, as well as day to day events, carries on as usual.
So while the House gave its approval for a law by decree aimed at hitting the financial resources of international terrorist organizations, the Senate and its relative committees continue to work on the year’s budget.
As for health care expenditures for 2002, the overall spending for the year 2000 was taken into account containing certain increases (agreement between State and Regions of 8/8/2001 as forseen by the law by decree n.347 of the year 2000), and the various spending items (IRAP, regional bids by way of special statute, fiscal intake, IRPEF windfall), not to mention the means of financing as established by the legal decree n.56 of the year 2000, which governs the matter of tax federalism. On this matter the economy minister Tremonti, in presenting the spending law to the House, outlined the contents of the extra bill which contains a new federal fiscal code, with only two tax rates of 23% and 33%.
On 11/14/2001, only a few days before the decree expires (on 11/18/2001), the House examined it in an atmosphere full of tension. In the quality of proposer PierGiorgio Massida took the word, explaining the target of the Decree and of the urgent measures taken to rationalize and stabilize health care spending. These include schemes such as penalties, as forseen by the reform of the title V of the constitution. Massida also underlined the government’s intention to raise public spending on health care to 6% of GDP. On this he considers unfounded the critisism coming from opposition deputies. Cosimo Ventucci, subsecretary of State for relations with the Parliament, expressed himself in favour, and Mario Baldassarri, Vice minister of the economy and of finance. Of an opposing opinion was Grazia Labate, Maura Cossutta and Augusto Battaglia. Tiziana Valpiana is also adamantly opposed, as is Giuseppe Fioroni who fears a negative impact, especially on those suffering from cronic illness.

The full Senate, after a careful exam and thourough debate, approved the article 15 of the bill presented by the social affairs commission, as follows.
(State of estimates of the health ministry and relative provisions)

1. The use and payment of the expenditures of the ministry of health are authorized for the financial year 2002, in conformity with the terms of the state of provision ;

2. On behalf of the forcast expenditures for the “anti AIDS programs” (operative) pertaining to the center of responsibility “Safeguarding of human health, public vetinarian health and international relations”, of the state of provision of the ministry of health are forseen, for the financial year 2002, the items held in the second comma of the article 36 of the decree of 18/11/1923, n.2440, subsequently modified, concerning the general accounting of the State.

3. The Minister of the economy and finance is authorized to provide for, with his own decrees, on behalf of the pertinent basic provision unit of the state of provision of the Ministry of health for the financial year 2002, the outlay of sums drawn from the national federations of order making, and the sanitation colleges for the operational expenses of the central commision for operators in the health profession .

4. The Minister of Economy and Finance, on the proposal of the Minister of Health, is authorized to undertake, with his own decrees, towards the base units of health provision answering to the Ministry of Health, for the financial year 2002, the outlay of the necessary funds for research and experimentation, of the base health units “scientific research” (actions and investment) pertinant to the center of responsibility “sanitary code, research and organization of the Ministry” of the provisional state of the Ministry of health, in relation to which was forseen by the article 12, comma 2, of the legislative decree dating 12/30/1992, n.502 plus related modifications.

5. The Minister of economy and finance is authorized to reallocate for the financial year 2002, with his own decrees, the fiscal intake which article 5, comma 12 of the law n.40 of 29/12/1990, on behalf of the basic provisional units of the state of provision of the Ministry of health for activities of control, of organizational programming, for information and health education of the Ministry, of the higher institute of health and for the higher institute for prevention and safety on the workplace, and not least the objectives as forseen in the article 7 of the law n.362 of 10/14/1999.

6.The Minister of economy and finance, on proposal of the Minister of Health, is authorized to allocate funds , with his own decrees, between the pertinant basic units of provision of the state of provision of the Ministry of health, for the financial year 2002, for the financing of activities relating to transplants of organs and tissue, of the basic units of provision “Transplanting of organs and tissues” pertinent to the center of responsibility “Order of health, research and organization of the Ministry” of the state of provision of the Ministry of health, in relation to that which has been provided for in the law of 4/10/1999, n°91, and subsequent modifications.

7. With the objective of putting into being the article 4-bis of the legal decree n.393 of 12/29/2000, converted, with modifications, from the law of 2/28/2001 n.27, the Minister of economy and finance, on proposal of the Ministers of health and defence is authorized to allocate, with his own decrees, between the pertinant basic units of provision of the state of provision of the Ministers of health and defence “the funds for the realization of a campaign to monitor the health conditions of Italian citizens operating in the area Kosovo/Bosnia-Erzegovina,, and for the control of food items imported from that area” of the revisional base unit “International Peace keeping missions” pertinent to the center of responsibility “Safeguarding of human health, of the public vetenarian health and of international relations” of the state of provision of the ministry of health for the financial year 2002.

(trad. Interpres sas Giussano)