Secretariat News Winter 2008-2009

EPHA working meetings

On 11-14 November, EPHA attended the Action for Global Health Annual meeting in Brighton. Please find the report here

On 19 November EPHA held a meeting with members of the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) to discuss future partnerships and relationships. There was also a discussion on the Patients’ Rights Directive that presented EPHA with an interesting new view of the Directive: a regulators’ prospective.

On 20 November EPHA met with the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses. This was a chance for EPHA to discuss future relationships. Information to Patients, Patient Saftey and the Patients’ Rights Directive were discussed. The possibility of working on WHO’s surgical safety campaign was discussed.

On 13 November EPHA held the second EPHA internship assessment day. The session was led by Tamsin Rose who gave a personal development session that focussed on values and motivation.

On 16 January EPHA hosted a meeting with EHN and BEUC to continue our coordinated work on the proposed Regulation on Food Information to Consumers, please find the article here

On 16 January 2009, EPHA held a meeting with the Royal College of Nurses (UK) to discuss future advocacy plans, including Workforce and elections.

EPHA working groups

On 4 November 2008, EPHA organised a working group on Health and Development for its members at the EPHA Secretariat. Please find the report here. Minutes will be shortly available on the "Members only section" of the EPHA website.

On 5 November 2008, EPHA organised the Policy Coordination meeting (PCM). The mintues will be available at the EPHA website/members only section. The last PCM of 2008 took place on 17 December 2008 at the EPHA office. On 14 January 2009, EPHA organised the first Policy Coordination meeting for 2009. More information on the dates for the PCM in 2009 can be found at the EPHA website.

On 17 November 2008, EPHA organised an EPHA Food and Nutrition Working Group (WG) with its members to discuss the development of proposed Regulation on ’Food information for Consumers’in the European Parliament and Council. The minutes of the EPHA Food and Nutrition WG are available at the EPHA website/Members Only Section

On 19 November 2008, EPHA attended the plenary meeting of the European Action Platform for Nutrition and Health from DG Sanco. The full meeting report is available at the EPHA Website/Members Only

EPHA, your ’eyes and ears’ in Brussels

EPHA attended the ASPHERconference on 4-5 November in Lisbon. ASPHER is the Association of Public Health Schools in European Region and an EPHA member. Please find an ASPHER conference report at the EPHA website On 4-6 November, EPHA attended the EUPHA Conference on the theme "i-Health: health and innovation in Europe".

On 6 November, EPHA attended a Round Table Discussion Forum on "Fighting Stigma and Combating Social Exclusion" at the European Parliament. Please find the report here

On 11 November, EPHA attended a working lunch hosted by MEP Alojz Peterle. "Ensuring Good Nutrition in Europe" gave participants the opportunity to learn more about the topic of malnourishment which is often neglected on the policy agenda.

On 12 November, EPHA attended the Budget Review Conference organised by the European Commission. Please find the report here

On 13 November, EPHA attended the European Alcohol and Health Forum. Please find the report here

On 13 November EPHA attended a seminar on Services of General Interest held by the European Liaison Committee on Services of General Interest (CELSIG). This was an opportunity to raise the issue of Health Services in the context of Services of General interest. The meeting was attended by MEPs from the EPP-ED, PES, GUE-NL and the ALDE parties.

On 17 November EPHA took part in a Round Table on the Patients’ Rights Directive hosted by EHMA. The meeting was attended by members of the Commission, EPHA members and other stakeholders. The meeting took the form of a round table discussion and became very in depth around the issues of reimbursement, prior authorisation and quality of cross-border healthcare.

On 18 November, EPHA participated in the Social Platform’s Social Policy Working Group on Financial Crisis and Fighting Poverty. The meeting covered two main issues : the impact of the economic crisis on people and consequences on social policies and the eradication of poverty and the elimination of social exclusion. The meeting started with a debate in which Representatives from the International Labour Organisation and ETUC and Monika Kosinska - EPHA Secretary General - were present.

On 21 November, EPHA attended an Open discussion on "The European way to integration: intercultural dialogue and Mutual respect" at the European Economic and Social Committee. The full report is available here

On 21/22 November, EPHA attended a seminar in Ghent organised by the Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health at Ghent University. The meeting brought together members of the EN-HERA network working for the sexual and reproductive rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Europe and beyond. Find the article here

On 24-25 November, EPHA participated to a study visit in Zagreb (Croatia) in order to strengthen cooperation between European umbrella organisations, to provide a basis for future cooperation with NGOs from that particular country, to exchange experiences and to support the development of local and national NGOs. A full report is available here

On 27 November 2008, EPHA organised a public health conference: What next for Europe. The conference was open for EPHA members and other stakeholders interested in the public health debate. The full meeting report is available at the EPHA website

EPHA attended a telemedicine seminar on Wednesday 3 December 2008. The seminar was hosted by the Continua health alliance. Gerard Comyn (DG INFOSOC) Nicola Beddlington (EPF) as well as several other distinguished speakers. The session was an opportunity for EPHA to gather some understanding of the current state-of-play in ehealth.

On 3 December, EPHA attended and spoke at an event organised by the Policy Exchange in London. The topic of the symposium was "Reducing Alcohol Related Harm Through Partnership." Please read the full article

On 9 December, EPHA participated to the Social Platform’s Annual Conference on “Civil Dialogue: how can we shape the Europe we want?”. Please read the full article

On 11 December, EPHA took part in the Open Forum organised by the European Commission.

EPHA attended the launch of the School Fruit Scheme on 15 December 2008. The full report is available here.

EPHA health advocacy

EPHA met with MEPs throughout November to discuss the evolution of the Patients’ Rights Directive in Parliament and different Committees and the possibility of submitting EPHA amendments to them.

EPHA met with health attachés to discuss the progress of the Patients’ Rights Directive in the European Council’s Working Party on health. This was a good opportunity to gather information and advocate EPHA’s message

EPHA met with a member of the European Commission responsible for the drafting of the Patients Rights Directive. The meeting was an interesting opportunity to come to a greater understanding of the intentions of the Commission in drafting the Proposed Directive. Please find the full meeting report here

On 8 December 2008 EPHA attended an event hosted by Friends of Europe in the Bibliothèque Solvay called "Long live Europe! Shaping our healthcare revolution." The event was a chance for EPHA to raise the concerns of the health community regarding the proposed Directive on Patients Rights as well as to listen to an interesting discussion of a wide variety of health related issues.

EPHA distributed a pamphlet to members of the Parliament’s Committee Civil liberties, justice and home affairs on the day of the vote in order to draw MEPs’ attention to the indivisibility of civil, political, economic and social rights, as recognised in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Please read the full article here

EPHA also distributed a joint letter with the European Heart Network at the ENVI Committee meeting on 8 December 2008. Please read the full article here article 3341

EPHA attended the Sherpa meetings for the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry on 16 December 2008 and again on the 23 January. The EPHA amendments to the Working Document are available here

On 17 November 2008, EPHA attended a meeting hosted by the The European Agriculture and Health Consortium at North West House. The meeting was an opportunity for an exchange of best practice between the US and Europe. The full report is available here

On 15-16 January 2009, EPHA participated as a speaker in a seminar organised by the European Commission, DG Enlargement on the subject of Health Challenges in Europe.The seminar was aimed at civil society organisations active in the field of public health from the countries of Western Balkans and Turkey. The seminar was structured to reflect the health challenges in Europe, especially in the framework of the enlargement and regional partnerships.

EPHA attended a roundtable on Patient Safety hosted by EHMA on 22 January 2009. Robert Madelin, Director General of DG SANCO was invited to present the Communication and Recommendation on Patient Safety.

On 28 January, EPHA attended a meeting hosted by Medecins du Monde in Paris. The meeting marked the launch of the Averroes Project, an initiative looking at the health status of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers in Europe. EPHA is looking to cooperate with this project in the coming months. A full meeting report will be available online shortly.