Welcome to the Summer Newsletter
As Brussels gets ready for the new legislative year, the final one for this Parliament, the public health community is steeling itself for a challenging few months. It is interesting to compare the achievements of this Parliament, and indeed this Commission, to the 1999-2004 session. The public health community were saying goodbye to the leadership of David Byrne and heralding his progress in the tobacco control field. The enlargement of the European Union was imminent and many were projecting seismic political shifts due to the new MEPs from Central and Eastern Europe.
Since then, despite disappointment with the lack-luster performance of Commissioner Kyprianou and his failure to engage and protect the health of European citizens, there have been a number of notable wins. The health services Directive, called for by the health community, has finally emerged; a more patient-centric approach is being favoured by the Commission; the UK-sponsored health inequalities agenda and Finnish-sponsored ’health in all policies’ have survived beyond the Presidencies and continue to be pushed.
Although the first six months of Commissioner Vassiliou’s term have been cautiously promising - her strong defence of public health in areas where her portfolio has clashed with the interests of other Commissioners such as industry’s Verheugen has been notable, as well as her insistence not to back down on tobacco - her remaining 12 months will be an interesting test on her ability to deliver leadership and protect public health as her job description describes. The next political term is still anyone’s guess, with senior administrative changes expected in Sanco, the likelihood of a new Commissioner - if the Commission even keeps a health Commissioner - and the retirement of many of the European Parliament’s ’old guard.’
The political climate is a challenging one, and the next administration, whether in Parliament or the Commission, will have to contend with high fuel costs, increasing demonstrations of climate change, high prices in food and commodities and not to mention the brink of a European recession. The consumption-driven policies of recent years have caused much damage to European economies, wallets and waistlines and the next term calls for bold and visionary leadership to address these challenges.
Read all the online articles of our Newsletter for Summer 2008
EPHA members can find the following new information in the Members Only section:
Risk Assessment Days 2008 - Stakeholder Dialogue Session
**Updated** EPHA Annual General Assembly 2008 and PCM
Minutes now online - EPHA Annual General Assembly 2008
IMCO exchange of views on food information to consumers
Use EPHA to raise awareness on your activities
*Update* EPHA position paper on Food Labelling, June 2008.
18th June EPHA Presentation to NW of England representatives
ENVI committee meeting on food information to consumers, June 24th, 2008
High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry, June 2008
Policy Coordination Group Meetings 2007
Policy Coordination Meeting - 30 July 2008
Please note that if an EPHA member would like to highlight their activities in the EPHA Newsletter, the deadline to submit a news item is Friday 25 July 2008. Please send your items to the EPHA Secretariat
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