Looking beyond health protection and health promotion
Padraig Flynn, the first European Commissioner with responsibility for health, speaking in 1995:
"EU’s health role is not confined to health protection and positive health promotion, as is commonly assumed. Our work is much broader. To name but a few matters, it includes environmental issues, food safety, development and emergency aid, research and development, the recognition of medical qualifications and health and safety at work."
Recognising the role of civil society in EU democracy
Clive Needle, a former MEP, was Rapporteur on the European Parliament Report for the Commission Communication on the Development of Public Health Policy in the European Community in 1998-1999. Here is how he saw the role of NGOs at a European level:
"I think that the rise of consumer, social and health-related organisations is one of the most significant political movements in western Europe over these last few decades. Because of the media and the Internet, people have information. Now, how will they be represented? Will they be represented individually, or are we actually going to build a new, lively democracy where people can be informed of major priorities and communicate collectively through NGO representatives?"
Collaborating with WHO on global threats to health
David Byrne, European Commissioner for Public Health and Consumer Affairs, described why he saw close collaboration with the World Health Organization as key during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations in 2000:
"In a world where health problems and solutions take on a more global character every day, we must join forces to confront the formidable challenges that face public health and health protection systems…WHO and the European Union have together an important job to do, particularly in view of an enlarged Europe and the fading of borders on the European continent and elsewhere when it comes to keeping up with both old or recurring and newly emerging health threats."
Examining the impact of other policies
Lars Engqvist, Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs, during his presidency of the Health Council (first half of 2001):
"There is a key difference between co-operation on health within the EU and that taking place in the WHO, OECD, the Council of Europe and other organisations active in the health field. At the EU level, the effects of measures adopted in other policy fields could have important consequences for the prospects of conducting a successful health policy…An example of how decisions and measures within other policy areas influence health is the link between alcohol and road accidents. Measures taken to reduce the harmful damage of alcohol indirectly improve traffic safety."
A need for a change in the Treaty
Magda Aelvoet, former Belgian Minister of Health, Environment and Consumer Affairs, at the time she was President of the Health Council (second half of 2001):
"Environment has found a place at the European level whereas Public Health is clearly still a small brother! We have one formal Health Council meeting per semester. The Treaty provision has a very restricted legal basis as we have seen with the attempt to introduce legislation on tobacco advertising and sponsorship. The Article chosen on which to base the legislation was not appropriate - but the legal base for public health is inadequate and this is therefore our basic problem. The arguments in defeating this measure were legal but what is actually taking place is deeply political."
