Secretariat News May 2010

1. Activity and communication

Annual General Assembly EPHA’s 2010 Annual General Assembly will take place on 17-18 June 2010 at the Martin’s Central Park Hotel on Boulevard Charlemagne in 1000 Brussels. More information on the event, including the draft agenda and location information is available here.

As part of the AGA, there will be an Extraordinary Election of two new Members to the Executive Board. More information on the elections can be found here.

Finally, this year’s AGA will include a Master Class on Campaigning Methods and Tools on the afternoon of Friday, June 18, that takes the form of a peer learning session. EPHA encourages its members to present any relevant advocacy campaigns with reference to the concrete methods and tools they employed to achieve their goals. More information is available here

Strategic Planning for EPHA EPHA continued its member consultation on the next planning period for the organisation. Members are encouraged to contribute to the discussions. Please access information on the documents and the process here. These were also discussed during the Strategic Interest Group on Health Systems, which took place on 5 May 2010.

Policy Coordination Meeting On 5 May 2010, EPHA held its fourth Policy Coordination Meeting of the year, which brought together various member organisations in order to discuss latest policy and advocacy developments in the public health field. The meeting was well attended by members and enjoyed a lively debate. More information is available here

EPHA also organised a Health Professionals Working Group on 26 May to discuss the European Parliament Written Declaration on EU Health Workforce. Minutes will be available at a later stage.

European Institutions

European Commission EPHA Secretary General Monika Kosinska, EPHA President Archie Turnbull and Director of Policy and Strategy Luiza Bara met with the new Director General for DG Sanco, Paola Testori-Coggi on 21 May 2010 to establish a working relationship with Mme Testori-Coggi and introduce EPHA. The meeting was constructive and EPHA is due to meet with Mme Testori-Coggi again in July or September.

European Parliament On 4 May 2010, Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner John Dalli presented the European Commission`s 2010 Work Programme to the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). In this exchange of views, Members of Parliament were able to ask about the Commission`s work programme and discuss their work on certain issues as well. Among the topics discussed were Information to Patients, Nutrient Profiles, Cross-Border Healthcare, and GMOs. To read the full report in the members only section click here.

The EPHA Secretariat monitored the ENVI Committee votes on pharmacovigilance and counterfeit medicines on 27-28 April and is preparing a briefing on which amendments passed the vote. The briefing will be made available online in the members`s only section. For more information on Pharmacovigilance click hereFor more information on Counterfeit Medicines click here

The Council EPHA’s Secretary General Monika Kosinska, represented EPHA and the European Health Policy Forum at the meeting of the Council’s Senior Level Working Party on Public Health on Friday 28 May. Ms. Kosinska presented the opinion of the EUHPF on the implementation of the European Health Strategy, which EPHA members contributed to in late 2009.

European processes

European Movement International organised the event ‘After the Lisbon Treaty – What can Citizens Expect ? – Moving from Design to Delivery’. The meeting was hosted by the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union and presided by Pat Cox, President of the European Movement International. The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy was the keynote speaker of the event. President van Rompuy highlighted the revolutionary nature of the Lisbon Treaty and the changes that accompanied its ratification. For the full report click here.

European budget Anne Hoel, European Policy Manager in the Secretariat attended the Civil Society Contact Group working meeting on the EU budget. Please contact Anne for more information on this meeting.

Structural funds and health No news from the Secretariat in May.

European policies

Diet and Nutrition

The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health which was held on 4 May 2010 in Brussels, focused on reformulation. To find a summary of the key issues discussed during the event, please click here

Alcohol EPHA issued a press release on 21 May, supporting the move by a leading UK retailer to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol. The retailer called on the government to act in order to reduce the growing levels of alcohol related harm by introducing a blanket minimum price. Please see the press release here

Tobacco

Over the last few months, Poland has revised its national tobacco legislation. EPHA was very active in aiming to support the Polish partliament to protect public health objectives against attempts to extend the opportunities for smoking in public spaces. A full article on the developments can to be found here.

On 31 May 2010, EPHA’s President Archie Turnbull attended the Smoke-Free Partnership event in the European Parliament held on World No-Tobacco Day. The event was very received, with senior level attendance including the European Health Commissioner, John Dalli. A full report will be available next month.

EPHA is co-organising an event in the European Parliament with its member the Royal College of Physicians, on 23 June, in Brussels, on the impact of passive smoking on children. Theodoros Skylakakis MEP (Greece) has agreed to co-host the event, together with Marina Yannakoudakis MEP (UK). The event will launch the RCP report on second hand smoking and impact on children at the EU level, this is timely as an EP resolution from November 2009 asked for such research to be conducted. There will be a high-level panel event, moderated by EPHA’s Monika Kosinska, where we have tentative confirmation from the Spanish health minister as well as other senior representatives from NGOs and national governments.

Chronic disease No new Secretariat news in May.

Cancer No new Secretariat news in May.

Injuries No new Secretariat news in May.

Mental health

During the joint EPHA/ASPHER conference "Public health in Hungary and the EU" (see below), EPHA gave a presentation on "Mental health in Hungary - what role for Europe ?". The aim of the presentation was to raise a sense of urgency for mental health issues in Hungary both in the framework of civil society advocacy work and public health education. A full article on the presentation can be found here.

Health inequalities On 7 May 2010, EPHA’s Secretary General Monika Kosinska participated in a panel organised by the European Commission during the German national congress on health and healthcare. Ms. Kosinska presented the importance of tackling health inequalities at local, regional, national and EU level and the role of the different state and non-state actors in effective change and both the mitigation and elimination of health inequalities. The meeting was well-attended by German national public health representatives.

As a partner of the ENGENDER Project, EPHA participated in a two-day meeting aiming to discuss the overall progress of the collaboration and to draw the strategy and schedule for the next 6 months. The ENGENDER Project gathers a broad range of partners working together to create a database of good practices promoting gender equity in health. More information on the project as well as on EPHA role will be soon made available on EPHA website.

EPHA attended a meeting of the NGO Contact Group on the European Year 2010 on combating Social exclusion and poverty. The meeting focused on preparing the European Parliament Agora, and discussed the outcomes of the Europe 2020 strategy as well the preparations for a Human Ring to circle around the EU institutions on the 12th of October.

EPHA attended the second preparatory meeting of the 2010 Roundtable on poverty and social exclusion to be held on 18 and 19 October 2010. Chaired by a representative of the Belgian Presidency and the European Commission, the meeting gathered numerous non-governmental organisations.

Global Health

On the occassion of Mother’s Day, the European Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development, in collaboration with Amnesty International’s EU Office, organised an event on 6 May 2010 to draw attention to the urgent need for action to improve maternal health worldwide. For more information please click here.

At the latest Development Policy Forum (DPF) Roundtable debate, European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs said that Europe needed to change its development aid paradigm – away from EU policies and towards developing countries’ policies. But what does that mean in terms of ownership of committments and actions ? Will it improve development cooperation ? A full article is to be found here.

Climate Change

Climate change has risen to the top of the international public agenda. Amongst other issues, the mitigation debate focuses mainly on what targets should be set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and what measures are needed to meet them. Far less attention gets paid to the health implications of these measures for different groups in European and global societies. EPHA attended the King Baudouin Foundation`s stakeholder dialogue closing event, "Climate change mitigation and social justice in Europe". A full article is to be found here.

Agriculture The Secretariat worked closely with the members to submit a response to the European Commission on the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy. This was produced with two rounds of consultation with members. The submission and summary can be found here www.epha.org/a/4089

On 6 May EPHA attended a Greens/European Free Alliance hearing on biodiversity and its relation to global food security, climate change and development. This hearing was especially relevant for EPHA`s work on agriculture and global health. For more information please click here.

Environment

In light of the revision of the Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) going through the European Parliament, a coalition of European NGOs has issued a joint letter to European MEPs calling for a ban on some additional hazardous chemicals in electric and electronic goods by 2015. In support of the action EPHA also signed the letter. The same action is being undertaken by North American NGOs and throughout the world via the International POPs Elimination Network. A full article is to be found here.

Trade

The right to health is a right for all. Even though states have to ensure that all citizens are able to enjoy this right, the right to health is being threatened by economic interests. This is illustrated by the free trade agreements the European Union is negotiating with countries in the South. Therefore, Belgian organisation "Action Platform for Health and Solidarity" organised a conference in the Belgian Senate to debate the impact of European trade policy on public health from a global perspective. EPHA was present and provides a summary of the event.

Pharmaceutical policy

EPHA met with the deputy head of Cabinet of Commissioner Dalli, Nils Behrndt to discuss pharmaceutical policies, on the 21 May.

Health workforce

The Written Declaration on EU Health Workforce was submitted to the European Parliament on 17 May. A full report on the background and developments of the declaration can be found here.

Patient rights The European Parliament hosted a high level event on the European Day for Patients, an informal day supported by the Active Citizens Network. EPHA’s Luiza Bara participated as speaker on the day. The event was also attended by Commissioner John Dalli. More information will be provided in the following month’s newsletter.

2. Partnerships

International bodies

Office of Economic Cooperation and Development Monika Kosinska, EPHA’s Secretary General attended the OECD Forum 2010, presenting the economic outlook for OECD countries for this year. The news from the recent figures is not positive, given the recent destabilisation in the South of Europe particularly, and the recommendation from the OECD was to impose strict measures in order to prevent a ‘double dip’ in recession terms. The concern is that national governments are artificially maintaining economies through their behaviour, which is preventing the recession to run its course and recovery to commence. This translates into cuts in public spending and notably public sector jobs and services. Public spending was only considered however as a net cost in the analysis, with the benefits of investing in health and social services to productivity and employability as well as the contributions of public sector employees as consumers and employed workers were not considered significant.

European stakeholder bodies

European Health Policy Forum

The European Health Policy Forum has been renewed for the first time and now comprises of 52 pan-European health stakeholders. The first meeting of the renewed membership took place on 20 May 2010. The meeting was opened by SANCO Director General Paola Testori Coggi. EPHA Secretary General Monika Kosinska - representing the EHPF Secretariat - presented the Strategic Priorities and workplan of the Forum from 2009-2010, and its next steps moving into 2011.

The Open Health Forum will take place on 29-30 June 2010 and will focus on Health in All Policies, EPHA will lead a workshop on ’stakeholders’, and in particular the role of non-health actors in undertaking public health interventions. There will also be an exhibition at which some members of the Health Policy Forum will display their organisations.

European public health community

Open Forum

EPHA is a member of the Steering Group of the Open Forum, to be held on 29-30 June 2010 in Brussels. The Steering Group has been working since January to develop the conference agenda. The theme of the Open Forum is ‘Health in All Policies’ and in addition to high-level opening and closing plenaries will compose of six themed workshops – agriculture and health; environment and health; financing and health; innovation; impact assessment and; stakeholder involvement. EPHA is organising the workshop on ‘stakeholder involvement’, which will explore the role of health stakeholders in decision-making, as well as looking at the role of non-health stakeholders in delivering health in all policies. The Open Forum will hold 400-500 participants and is open to the whole of Europe.

Annual Public Health Conference – Amsterdam, Netherlands

EPHA’s Secretary General Monika Kosinska will be attending the meeting of the International Conference Committee in early June.

Schools of Public Health in Europe Monika was invited to attend ASPHER’s Annual ‘Deans and Directors’ retreat, held at the end of May in Rennes, France. Monika contributed in the presentation given by the ASPHER Taskforce on Advocacy and Communication, where she presented the ‘NGO experience’. The meeting was very well-attended from across the European region, with senior public health academics and professionals from the EU and beyond. There was also a representative from the European Centre of Disease Control, EUPHA and the American Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH). The retreat was both informative and interesting, with a stimulating debate and open discussion on the future and challenges of public health education. EPHA was well-received, both in terms of the work of the Advocacy Taskforce, but also in terms of building links with the Academic Network for Global Health, hosted by ASPHER.

European civil society

Civil Society Contact Group

No Secretariat news in May.

Social Platform

EPHA attended the meeting of the Social Platform SGI working group on 10 May. A full report from the meeting can be found here.

Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation

No Secretariat news in May

EPHA attended a meeting of the NGO Contact Group on the European Year 2010 on combating Social exclusion and poverty. The meeting focused on preparing the European Parliament Agora, and discussed the outcomes of the Europe 2020 strategy as well the preparations for a Human Ring to circle around the EU institutions on the 12th of October.

National public health communities

Germany

A group of public health students from the University of Magdeburg (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), led by Professor of Health Promotion Dr. Arnd Hofmeister, visited EPHA on 6 May 2010. They were welcomed by Governance & Membership Coordinator Sascha Marschang, who gave an overview of EPHA’s advocacy and networking activities, and by EPHA Secretary General Monika Kosinska, who provided the broader context in which EPHA’s work is situated, also in relation to the various German stakeholders working on health in Brussels. The aim of the visit was to learn more about EU health social policies and politics, and how EPHA’s work was contributing to the creation of a more social European society. A number of students were also particularly interested in members working in the field of Complementary & Alternative Medicine.

Hungary

In collaboration with its member organisation the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Regions (ASPHER), EPHA jointly organised a capacity building and public health education event in Eastern Hungary on 18-19 May 2010. Entitled "Public health in Hungary and the EU" and hosted by the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Public Health (an ASPHER member), the conference highlighted the need for cross-sectoral communication in difficult times. Hungary currently experiences multiple and overlapping public health challenges and ASPHER’s initiative to develop a set of European public health core competencies contribute to raise awareness of the importance of communication and advocacy as essential competencies. The event was attended by academics and students and for EPHA it represented a first step to identify the most urgent health-related needs and issues as they are perceived by local stakeholders. The full conference report can be found here

Italy

A group of representatives of volunteering organisations based in Turin were in Brussels in May to hear from European Civil Society and institutions on how health and social policy is made and influenced. EPHA’s Communication and Membership Officer Alison Abrahams gave a presentation on the role of EPHA in influencing health policy and answered the delegates questions arising about how health NGOs interact with the European Parliament which they also visited. Other talks were given by speakers from The European Commission, AGE Platform Europe, Solidar, the Economic and Social Committee, CSVnet and the Social Platform.

Poland

EPHA’s close partner in the tobacco work in Poland has submitted an application for EPHA membership which will be brought to the AGA in June.

United Kingdom

EPHA’s Monika Kosinska participated in the Royal College of Nurses meeting of the International Committee, which is currently undertaking a review of the work of the RCN outside of the UK.

Sweden

EPHA’s Governance & Membership Coordinator Sascha Marschang hosted a delegation from Dalarna City Council in Sweden, who were visiting Brussels to tour the European institutions, organised by the Central Sweden Office. The group was composed of civil servants, some of which former health practitioners. Their particular interests lay in health promotion and sustainable development, as well as in measurements for improving public health, and children’s environment and health.

3. Staff

Staff changes

New starters

There were no new staff members in May 2010.

Leavers

The recruitment process to replace EPHA’s Finance Manager Murielle Chiltz closed on 31 May 2010 and we hope to make an appointment shortly.

Promotions and internal changes

No EPHA news in May 2010.

4. Members

Re-organisation of EPHA website

The new EPHA dummy web site continues to be under construction and will be tested over the summer.

Executive Committee Meeting

EPHA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) held a teleconference on 25 May 2010 to discuss the draft agenda and supporting documents of the next EPHA Annual General Assembly to take place on 17-18 June 2010 at the Martin’s Central Park Hotel in Brussels. 2010 ExCo meeting agendas and Minutes are available in the Members only section of the EPHA website

Financial Subcommittee Meeting

EPHA’s Financial Subcommittee also convened on 10 May 2010 during a teleconference to discuss the financial aspects of the organisation which will be presented to the membership at the June AGA. FinCo meeting agendas and Minutes are also available in the Members only section of the EPHA website

Governance Working Group

The next Governance Working Group meeting will take place on 9 June 2010. A brief interim overview of the group’s review work will be provided by EPHA President Archie Turnbull at the June AGA.