Secretariat News Summer 2009

EPHA working meetings

On 8 July EPHA organised a Working Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. The minutes will be made available online shortly.

On 15 July, EPHA held a Policy Coordination Meeting for its member organisations. The minutes of the meeting are available here The meeting was complemented by an exchange of views between EPHA’s members and the Health Attaché of the Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU, organised by EPHA’s secretariat. An overview of the meeting’s debates as well as more comprehensive information on the Swedish Presidency’s priorities in the health are area available in the briefing note produced by EPHA’s secretariat.

EPHA, your ’eyes and ears’ in Brussels

On 29 June, EPHA participated in a preparatory meeting in view of the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion. Please find more information here.

On 2-4 July EPHA participated in a training programme organised by the European AIDS Treatment Group. Focussing on AIDS Treatment Literacy, the training gathered participants from Eastern Europen countries, and examined issues such as access to care and discrimination. A second training session will be held in October, which will focus on AIDS Treatment Advocacy.

On 6 July EPHA received representatives from the Health and Europe Centre and Kent Primary Care Trust. The meeting focused on European developments relating to health determinants and health systems, but also discussed the role of European networks in advocacy and policy development.

On 8 July, EPHA attended a debate organised by European Voice between the two candidates to the European Parliament President- Jerzy Buzek and Eva-Britt Svensson. Please find more information on Jerzy Buzek election and priorities here.

EPHA health advocacy

The European Policy Centre organised on 30 June a roundtable discussion within the framework of the Lifestyles Risks Forum. EPHA’s secretariat was a speaker at this event, on the application of the precautionary principle and its links with risk assessment, as well as its implications on public health.

On 1 July, EPHA’s secretariat participated in a meeting of the Working Group on the EU BUdget of the Civil Society Contact Group, which focused on the development of the advocacy strategy of Group in relation to the budget review.

On 2 July, a Steering Group meeting of the Civil Society Contact Group was held focusing on the general running of the platform. EPHA’s secretariat took an active part in it.

EPHA’s secretariat participated on 6 July in the meeting of the High Level Group on Agro-Food Industry. Being the only nongovernmental organisation present at the meeting, EPHA called for increased transparency of the group, inclusion of other civil society organisations in this structure and further attention to the impact of the actions of the group on public health. The High Level Group adopted on this occasion its Roadmap on Key Initiatives, which can be found here.

On 8 July, EPHA and a number of its members ran several workshops in the Youth Camp, organsed by DG SANCO and the European Youth Forum. EPHA’s contribution included a key note presentation on public health and was complemented by a series of workshops on health inequalities, tobacco prevention, alcohol policy, health and environment, global health, mental health and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The Youth Camp’s conclusion fed in the conclusions of the "Be Healthy, Be Yourself Conference". Please find a full report here

On 9-10 July, EPHA secretariat attended, chaired a session and was a speaker in another session of the DG SANCO ’Be Healthy, Be Yourself Conference,’ which focused on youth aspects of health. The outcomes of the conference are available .

On 9 July, EPHA attended the European Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Acitivity and Health. The topic of discussion was lifestyles and education. A summary of the meeting can be found here

EPHA met with the Dutch Permanent Representation to the EU in order to discuss EU Pharmaceutical Policy on 14 July 2009. The meeting was an opportunity for EPHA secretariat to express concerns on EC’s pharmaceutical policy governance and to increase knowledge on the Dutch positions on health dossiers.

On 28 July, EPHA had a meeting with the Croatian Mission to the EU. The meeting was a way for EPHA to become acustomed to Croatia’s Acquis process and for EPHA to question a new piece of legislation introduced in Croatia on health professionals.

On 31 August, EPHA’s representatives took part in a meeting of the Steering Group of the Civil Society Contact Group, which constituted a brainstorming exercise on the future work of the group.