March 2010 Newsletter

Welcome to the March 2010 Newsletter

March was another busy month in Brussels, with the Commission kicking into gear following the hiatus during the process to approve the College. Not only was the month full with the reconvened policy process, the Spanish Presidency events, the Equity Week in the Parliament and the deadline for the Public Health Programme, but this month the Commission released its 2010 Work Programme and announced some important changes in the health field.

DG Sanco’s Director General, Robert Madelin, was moved to a different position after six years at the head of the Directorate. He is replacing Fabio Colasanti as Director General for Information Society and Media. Ms. Paola Testori-Coggi, previously Deputy Director General for DG Sanco has been promoted to Director General. Although Mr. Madelin’s departure was not a surprise, the speed of the announcements and subsequent moves was indeed unexpected. This was the only senior change announced by the College, prompting speculation that the remaining Director General who are obliged to rotate their briefs will only do so in the summer. Mr. Madelin’s promotion is not insignificant, and he is vocal in his intentions to retain a citizen-centric approach to his new flagship position - the next term will see significant visibility in his field as the digital agenda takes a leading role in Europe’s ’innovative’ future.

The shift at DG Sanco is seismic. Ms. Testori-Coggi is very experienced, particularly in the food and animal health arena, with significant successful crisis management in her time in senior positions. She is politically astute, outspoken and with a strong attention to detail. She is renowned for working hard, demanding results from meetings - a blessing in the meeting-prolific world of Brussels policy-making - and for plain speaking. All key skills to build on Mr. Madelin’s legacy for cooperative policy making and an openness to stakeholders, of all descriptions. As one of only five female Director Generals in the European Commission, her reputation for independent-mindedness and assertiveness will be tested and challenged.

The challenge will be her newer responsibilities in the public health field. The public health portfolio has traditionally been a neglected policy area, particularly as coupled with its more visible cousin, consumer policy, however it is increasing important in Europe’s changing landscape. Mr. Madelin’s controversial but highly visible stakeholder processes in obesity and alcohol harm need a strong and determined leader to see good public health outcomes; health inequalities needs an unwavering champion, as do sexual and reproductive rights, mental health and both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Public health is about making the right population health decision, and showing the courage to deliver the necessary steps to achieve tough outcomes. Ms. Testori-Coggi has inherited one of the Commission’s most challenging and under-resourced portfolios: we all wish her luck and the very best success in bringing good health to the citizens she serves.

Monika Kosinska

Secretary General

Brussels

Read all the online articles from our March 2010 Newsletter

EPHA members can find the following new information in the Members Only section :
 European Parliament plenary urged to protect the health of Europe’s most vulnerable through clear food labelling
 Workshop Information to Patients
 article 3932
 April 2010 Working Group on Healthcare Professionals
 Working Group on Pharmaceutical Policy
 Food and Nutrition Working Group April 2010
 article 3964
 Roundtable on the engagement of Polish civil society in public health advocacy.
 Geospatial Technologist advises NGO representatives on use of technology
 A taste of Europe... introducing European health professionals to the EU
 Members consultation - EPHA operational framework 2011 - 2015 and 2011 Business Plan
 "Time to Act" Commission Work Programme 2010
 EPHA Health Determinants and Health Systems SIGs to be held in April
 The Generic Drugs Forum calls for attention to the lack of training and information around generic medicines.
 Promoting NGOs and public health dialogue - workshop outcomes
 EPHA’s contribution to the evaluation of the Diet Platform

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 23 April 2010. Please send your items to the EPHA Secretariat