Welcome to the October 2007 edition of the EPHA Newsletter which is also the opportunity to introduce the new layout of our website. We hope that it will make site easier to read and provide a positive browsing experience. Your comments or feedback on the EPHA website are, as always, very welcome.
The European Commission issued in October 2007 the new EU Health Strategy. The main document is complemented by several papers that develop the broad objectives and actions that the White Paper sets out.
At first sight, the new EU Health Strategy reflects the main points raised by the contributions to the consultation launched by DG Sanco earlier this year.
One of EPHA’s comments, was the need to strengthen the role of civil society in EU decision-making and establishing a formal participatory status for NGOs. Although neither the strategy nor the Working Document state this explicitly, the proposed new ’structured cooperation’ mechanism could lead to more direct participation of the health community in the development of public health policy in Europe, including interaction with Member States.
In particular, the working paper states that the European Commission will build on progress made through existing consultative forums to work closely with stakeholder groups, and with regional and local level bodies with a view to optimising their contribution to the implementation of the Strategy.
The health community in Europe is ready to take up this challenge and will be exploring concrete ways that they can get involved in implementing the EU Health Strategy at all levels.
Read all the online articles of our newsletter for October 2007.
EPHA members can find the following new information in the Members Only section :
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