May 2005 newsletter

Welcome to the May 2005 edition of the EPHA newsletter.

A European Union - in whose name?

On 29 October 2004, leaders from 25 EU countries signed the Constitutional Treaty which would enter into force if ratified by all countries within 2 years. Each country selects its own method of ratification: 15 are using a vote by their national parliaments and 10 countries are putting the Treaty to the popular vote by their citizens, even if some of these referenda will not be legally binding.

By 1 June 2005, nine countries (Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain) had sucessfully ratified the Constitutional Treaty.

National Referenda are due to be held in Luxembourg (10 July) and Denmark (27 September). Both Ireland and Portugal have scheduled their popular votes in late 2005. The UK and the Czech Republic have announced plans for referenda in Spring/Summer 2006. Poland has not yet set a date for its vote.

But the message from France was a clear ’NON’ a result which was echoed more loudly by Dutch voters on 1 June 2005. The opposition to the Treaty includes all elements of the political spectrum, issues highlighted by voters were price rises connected to the EURO, fears about job losses linked to enlargement, immigration, greater centralisation of powers in Brussels, undermining of public services by internal market liberalisation, threats to national traditions or values. The anti-EU sentiment is a mixture of national concerns and a feeling that the EU itself lacks democracy, accountability or openness. The message from individuals is European cooperation - yes, but integration at any speed or cost - no.

The challenge of how to bridge the widening gap between 458 million Europeans and the EU institutions must be solved. Specifically, the EU must demonstrate what benefits it brings for the lives of citizens and how the views and interests of people are genuinely taken into account in decision-making.

This means that the traditional methods of legislation need to be opened up to a wider group of stakeholders. The calls from business leaders for less red tape and regulation must be counterbalanced by strong and well resourced civil society networks that can advocate the public interest and provide a voice for communities and marginalised groups.

Public health could be a vote winner for Europe

Thanks to the EU, people can more confidently live, work, shop and travel across Europe because of extensive legislation on consumer protection and redress, health and safety rules, hygiene and food safety regulations, environmental laws on water quality, air pollution etc. These all contribute towards quality of life for citizens.

But there are still areas where the EU must deliver more. A new European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) became operational in Stockholm on 28 May 2005 and this is a step. The major burden of ill health and premature death in Europe is strongly linked to consumption patterns of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods. The presence of chemicals in consumer products and other environmental polluntants are an unseen and often unknown risk for health.

These are all issues connected to goods and services, the core elements of the internal market and the EU’ s regulatory role.

The litmus test is the new proposed Health and Consumer Programme. These policy areas have been chronically under-resourced for years, at approximately 16 cents per person, per year at EU level.

This is not enough money to pay for a postage stamp to send a letter to all Europeans explaining their consumer rights and providing simple health messages about eating fruit and vegetables and quitting smoking.

Now is the time for the European Parliament and the European Council to allocate adequate resources and political priority to this important concern for citizens.

That way, perhaps the next time that Europeans ask "what has the EU ever done for me?" the answer might be longer and more compelling.

EPHA members can access a range of new material in the Members Only section:

 Updated information on the EPHA Annual General Assembly, 23-24 June 2005
 Draft minutes of the 25 May Policy Coordination Meeting

An updated briefing note on the European Working Time Directive is also available.

 Read all the online articles of our newsletter for May 2005