The following are just some of EPHA’s achievements during the past ten years.
Management of the European Parliamentary discussion group
EPHA has provided the secretariat for the Health Intergroup of the European Parliament since June 1993. Intergroups are informal discussion groups, established by MEPs, which provide a forum for cross-party debate of important issues. Over the decade, the meetings have focused on many issues, including public health policy and programmes, the Common Agricultural Policy, food and nutrition, tobacco advertising, health impact assessment, ageing, cancer and home care, preventing cardiovascular disease, health information systems, and mental health.
EPHA creates messages
Mrs Imelda Read, MEP for the UK Group of the Party of European Socialists, was President of the Health Forum Intergroup for several years in the late 1990s. She says the clear messages created at Intergroup meetings have been important in shaping thinking in public health policy in Europe. "For example, messages created on mental health and on independent information for patients, such as diabetics, have pushed these issues higher up the EU health agenda," she says.
Running campaigns
Health in the EU Treaty revision
EPHA has played a leadership role in making sure that health is not forgotten in talks about changes to the EU treaty. A statement calling for "a high level of human health protection" was presented to the Convention on the Future of Europe last year. Since then, EPHA has led monitoring (including regular electronic news bulletins), co-ordination and representation on behalf of the European public health community at meetings of the Convention.
Towards a healthy CAP
During the past 10 years, EPHA has called for changes in the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Last year, the review proposals included some positive signs. Subsidies would no longer be linked to beef or grain production but allocated as flat payments related to higher environmental, food quality and animal welfare standards. As well as supporting a "multifunctional" CAP, EPHA has highlighted the glaring contradiction of European subsidies to tobacco farmers (currently approximately 1,000 million euros per year) while EU health policy is directed towards reducing the harmful effects of smoking.
Participation of health civil society
Regular consultative meetings and "virtual" working group consultations have allowed the health community to provide consolidated input into various health-related policy areas. Several recommendations related to a permanent European health consultation structure have been adopted. At the first formal meeting of the EU Health Policy Forum in 2002, EPHA contributed proposals from health groups on the principles, membership criteria and management of the new body, several of which were accepted. EPHA has been less successful in achieving recognition of the need for core funding for the co-ordination of the European non-government public health community.
Direct to consumer advertising (DTCA)
One of the European Commission’s recommendations in the Pharmaceutical Review process was that information for patients about medicines should be improved taking advantage of the growing use of the Internet. The European Commission proposed that drug companies would be allowed to provide information to consumers on prescription medicines to treat AIDS, asthma and diabetes, which many saw as opening the door to widespread Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA). Together with Health Action International - Europe, EPHA organised a meeting in January 2002 bringing attention to concerns about the advertising of prescription drugs to patients (rather than only to doctors) and the need for independent information. The European Parliament has since voted against the proposal.
Trade and health
The benefits of trade are not adequately directed towards the objectives of health and development, and some aspects of current international trading arrangements are adverse to the promotion of global public health. EPHA has represented the public health community in EU delegations to Seattle and Doha ministerial meetings of the World Trade Organization, and produced two issues of the European Public Health Update on the theme of trade and health.
EPHA identifies the issues
Mary McPhail, who was General Secretary between 1997 and 2000, says EPHA’s strength is in effective lobbying. "With a professional team, it is possible to pinpoint issues in public health, influence decision makers and achieve specific results," she says.
Taking positions
The following are the topics of some of EPHA’s key policy papers: public health and the European Union; research priorities for public health in Europe; Access to health care; Common Agricultural Policy reform (1999 and 2002); a new approach to European health policy; Trade and health, and Health and social policy (2003 draft).
Organising conferences
Effective Advocacy for Health in Europe, 3-5 April 2003, Riga, Latvia.
Providing Prescription Medicine Information to Consumers: Is There a Role for Direct-to-Consumer Promotion?, 10 January 2002. Organised in association with Health Action International-Europe.
The citizen’s voice in European health policy (stakeholder consultation), 13 November 2001.
The World Trade Organization (WTO): Implications of EU global trade policy on health, 18 April, 2000 (co-organisers).
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Finding Common Ground - Putting Health, Social Justice and Sustainable Development at the Core of a Food Policy for Europe, 10-11 May 1999.
The health impact of European single market legislation, 30 October 1998.
Action on Social Inequalities and Health, 3-4 May 1993, London.
Holding seminars
Health in Europe between two key words: Equity and Access, 8 November 2002, Florence (co-organisers).
Networking for health in Europe, June 2002.
A citizen’s perspective on health: Coming together to build intersectoral health policies, June 2001.
Citizen’s First Initiative, 1996.
Codes of conduct and commercial sponsorship, 1995.
Producing publications
68 issues of the European Public Health Update since 1994.
38 electronic newsletters since June 1999.
Children’s health in Europe, Tackling the environmental threats, April 2003.
World trade implications for health policy, co-produced with Wemos, Physicians for social responsibility, and Medact, 2000.
Public Health and the EU - an overview, July-August 1995. Revised 1997.
Giving presentations
In the six-month period, 1 June - 1 December 2002, EPHA staff gave a total of 13 formal presentations and actively participated in 39 events.
Initiating activities
EPHA environmental network launched in April 2003.
Survey to identify priorities and needs of health NGOs in Central and Eastern European countries, 2002.
"Health Week" in the European Parliament, October 1998.
Training workshop on "Lobbying for health in Europe", 20 June 2001, Brussels.
European Public Health Hotline, telephone help-line, 1995.
Research report on health and single market, 1996.
Campaigns to come!
The right to health in the EU Treaty.
Environment - children’s health issues, EU chemical policy, environmental rights and pesticides.
Agriculture - a multifunctional CAP providing a wide choice of nutritious foods for a balanced diet.
Trade - GATS and access to health services.
Enlargement - core funding for public health co-ordination across the enlarged Europe.
Health inequalities - reducing the "health gap".
