January 2006 newsletter

Welcome to the January 2006 edition of the EPHA newsletter.

The adoption of the European Commission overall work programme for 2006 gave the direction in which the EU would move in 2006. Prosperity, security, better regulation, transparency and the EU budget are the leading themes for 2006.

Regarding specific health issues for 2006, the European Commission will be looking at the impact of commercial communication on the health status, with the revision of the TV Without Frontiers Directive.

On the research agenda, it is expected that the 7th Framework Programme will be ready by the end of the year. And by then, the negotiations and agreement on the Services Directive should have also been completed.

The European Commission is expected to publish two Communications in Spring 2006, one on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, and one on Alcohol Policy. Work on Mental Health and Healthy Diets and Physical Activity will continue, involving stakeholders in different forms of consultation.

The EU institutions will work towards consolidating the newly reformed Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), and show the contribution of the European model of Agriculture to the Lisbon strategy.

During 2006, EPHA will be following all these developments, as well as mainstreaming health in other policies and working on issues such as health inequalities, children and adolescents, better law making, tobacco, HIV/AIDS and global health.

EPHA members can find the following information on the Members Only section:

 Minutes of the General Assembly held in December 2005

 Reports from meetings attended by the EPHA Secretariat during January

 Latest draft of the assessment of Commissioner Kyprianou’s achievements during 2005

 Read all the online articles of our newsletter for January 2006