The deadline was Monday 17 February for Members of the Convention of Europe to submit amendments to the Praesidium’s draft Articles 1-16 of the Constitutional Treaty.
EPHA and many of its members had lobbied for public health to be included in Article 3 : Objectives of the EU and for Public Health to remain a shared competence for Member States and the Union (Article 12).
More than 1000 contributions were made by Convention Members, which are gradually being posted onto the Convention website. In fact, Convention Members continue to submit texts even after the deadline has passed. The Convention Secretariat is gradually processing the amendments and posting them on the website.
An initial analysis of the amendments submitted and posted by 17.00 on Wednesday 19 February is as follows :
Requesting ’public health’ be included in Article 3
M. de Villepin, M. Louis Michel, M. Karel de Gucht, M. Elio di Rupo, Mme Anne Van Lancker, M. Pierre Chevalier, Mme Marie Nagy, M. Olivier Duhamel, Mme Linda McAvan, M. Luis Marinho, Mme Anne Van Lancker, M. Klaus Hansch, Mme Pervenche Beres, Mme Maria Berger, M. Carlos Carnero, Mme Elena Paciotti, Mme Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Requesting ’a high level of services of a general interest’ in Article 3
M. Olivier Duhamel, Mme Linda McAvan, M. Luis Marinho, Mme Anne Van Lancker, M. Klaus Hansch, Mme Pervenche Beres, Mme Maria Berger, Mme Elena Paciotti, Mme Helle Thorning-Shcmidt, M. Valdo Spini, Mr Borrell, Mr Carnero, Mr Lopez Garrido, Mr Joao Cravinho, Mr de Villepin, M. Ben Fayot, M Louis Michel, M. Karel de Gucht, M. Elio di Rupo, Mme Anne Van Lancker, M. Pierre Chevalier, Mme Marie Nagy.
Article 11 : exclusive EU competencies
M. Hubert Haenel and M. Robert Badinter requested that an exception be added to the bullet point ’common commercial policy’ specifically to exclude social and health services.
Article 12: Shared competence (EU and Member States)
Mr Dirk Roche requested removal of ’public health’
M. William Abitbol requested that ’public health’ and ’consumer protection’ be put together in the same bullet point rather than separately
Article 15: Areas of supporting action for the EU
Mr Dirk Roche requested addition of ’public health’ into this category of policy
Mr Peter Hain (UK Government Representative) said that Public Health should be categorised as an area of supporting action, except for those areas where harmonisation is specifically permitted (For example communicable diseases, WHO regulations, blood tissues etc).
The advocacy work of the health community has had results, as can be seen by the number of Convention members who prioritised public health. EPHA has also received responses to our letter from some of the Praesidium members.
Further update emails will be sent to you as more amendments are posted on the Convention website.
