Newsletter Spring 2009

Welcome to the Spring 2009 Newsletter

Read all the online articles of our Newsletter for Spring 2009

The first quarter of 2009 has brought rumours and uncertainty to Brussels. Not only is the financial crisis hitting harder than many had hoped, but the immediate future of the institutions is under question with elections and changes in the administration around the corner but no Lisbon Treaty to set the framework.

All eyes look to London this week, where the G20 are meeting. Anger is mounting from citizens across Europe, and people are finding their voices, taking to the streets and demanding accountability and strong leadership. Many fear that the worst of the crisis is still to come. Health campaigners coming under the banner of the EU Health Policy Forum wrote to leaders ahead of the crisis to draw attention to the need to protect health during these times, as an insurance and investment for the future. Health Ministers are currently convened in Oslo, with EPHA and some its members represented, in order to draw conclusions on how to best tackle the issues facing our populations’ health. The coming months will show whether European leaders are bold and decisive enough to take the decisions necessary.

Meanwhile rumours on the make-up of the Commission and indeed the College of Commissioners change weekly. With President Sarkozy of France reportedly refusing to commit to the appointment of a Commission President before the Irish vote on Lisbon, the Commission was thrown in disarray. The current College will remain until the new Treaty comes into force - perhaps as early as December - but a President was due to be appointed for the full term from July this year. Without a President, the institutional changes planned will need to be delayed - and with many Director Generals due to move, this places portfolios and priorities into a period of uncertainty.

Times of crisis and uncertainty are unsettling and create huge insecurities - whether a time of global crisis or a time of institutional change - however they provide huge opportunities. It is time to challenge norms, assumed behaviour and ways of working. Time to rethink our approaches, our goals and our priorities. Europe’s growth was brief and unsustainable as well as unable to deliver social equality and justice - now is an opportunity to redefine our goals and methods of achieving those goals. Europe’s institutions put competitiveness and industry challenges above its citizens - now is an opportunity to put Europeans back at the heart of European policy-making.

The old models do not work. Now is the time to rethink Europe.

EPHA members can find the following new information in the Members Only section:
 EPHA Health Systems SIG: Agendas and Minutes
 EPHA Health Determinants SIG: Agendas and Minutes
 EPHA Executive Committee minutes 2008
 Message from the Executive Committee - March 2009
 Access to Healthcare for Undocumented Migrants - Averroes Project
 Social Fairness and Sustainable Development can be both achieved, says Commission
 The Civil Society Contact Group
 EMEA’s sixth scientific committee: Committee for Advanced Therapies
 article 3447

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 24 April 2009. Please send your items to the EPHA Secretariat