European Parliament changing its approach to health?

During the first week of March, Brussels was awash with rumours about a possible restructuring within the Parliament on health issues. Commentators were suggesting that health may be removed from its current home in the ’ENVI’ Committee (Environment, Health and Food Safety) to a new Health-only Committee under the 2009-2013 Parliament.


EPHA was asked to comment on these rumoured changes (please click here for the full article in the Brussels press).

If the rumours are correct and health will be given a Committee of its own, this is a welcome move however we are cautious as many active and interested MEPs are currently involved in the ENVI Committee due to the high profile of environmental issues and the overlap with health. Diluting this by forcing MEPs to choose between one Committee and the other may mean a weakening of the strength of the Committee.

A single health Committee would, of course, also encompass Pharmaceutical Policy - a welcome change from the current situation where different Committees lead depending on the proposal. EPHA, together with other organisations, strongly support European Pharmaceutical Policy becoming more health-driven including moving from DG Enterprise to DG Sanco. This would bring the Commission inline with 26 out of the EU’s 27 Member States who designate their Ministries of Health as leading ministries for pharmaceutical issues.

EPHA related articles

-  The European Pharmaceutical Forum: discussing provision of information to patients on medicinal products
- Information to Patients
- Pharmaceutical Package

Last modified on March 10 2009.