EPHA and the European Respiratory Society organised a conference in Brussels on 27 November 2003 to discuss the EU competence in public health. The agenda featured speakers from the European Commission, WHO, Member States and a senior lawyer with experience of the Court of Justice
The conference examined whether the draft Constitutional Treaty provides the legal basis to achieve a ’high level of human health’ in the EU. The morning featured presentations about the health status of Europeans, the cost of ill health and the public health interventions that could be made. The afternoon session included an overview of EU action on public health from the European Commission, reflections from two Member States on what they would expect from the EU and a legal analysis of the Treaty articles that impact on health. A lively panel discussion led to a consensus on the public health vision put forward in the morning and a strong message citizen’s expectations are that health will be a high priority for the EU/
The list of participants and presentations can be downloaded from the site. A conference report will be available in the near future.
