Newsletter Summer 2009

Welcome to the Summer 2009 Newsletter

As autumn fast approaches and Brussels rediscovers its political drive after a quiet summer, there is a renewed sense of urgency amongst policy makers and lobbyists alike. This September the European Parliament will see the newly-elected MEPs begin work, and both old and new faces will be tackling issues relevant to health. The public health community has been preparing itself for a challenging few months, and is ready to engage with MEPs and policy makers in the other European institutions on existing and new dossiers. With the President of the European Commission still awaiting appointment by the Parliament, and the current Commissioners’ mandates coming to an end, there is opportunity and change on the horizon.

The proposal for a Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers, the Pharmaceutical Package and the Patients’ Rights Directive are all dossiers that are familiar to many of us but broader institutional processes cannot be forgotten. The Irish will hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on 2 October, and this will be followed by votes in the Czech Republic and Poland later in the year. Will we see a green light for the restructuring of the basic principles of Community law? Additionally, discussions on the Post-Lisbon Agenda will continue and EPHA will work to ensure that public health issues are at the heart of a more social and sustainable blueprint for Europe, that prioritises well-being as a indicator of success.

The current financial crisis should be seen as an opportunity to tackle health inequalities. Social support schemes, in addition to public spending on healthcare, can act as as a security net to prevent people sinking into poverty and destitution, but can also represent a spring board towards recovery. With the Commission due to issue a Communication on health inequalities in the autumn and the Spanish Presidency prioritising health inequalities, the public health voice on this issue needs to be strong and sustained.

The autumn will be busy and the political climate is a challenging one, and EPHA will need to work closely with members and partners in order to shape an administration that can be bold and visionary in its approach, and leave a strong health legacy in its wake.

Read all the online articles of our Newsletter for Summer 2009

EPHA members can find the following new information in the Members Only section:

 Summary report from the meeting of the Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
 Calendar of events
 Guide to the Swedish Presidency
 article 3607
 article 3600
 article 3594
 Council of the European Union recommendation on seasonal influenza vaccination
 *Updated* European Union Action Against Cancer
 EPHA position paper on Food Labelling

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 18 September 2009. Please send your items to the EPHA Secretariat