Newsletter April 2005

Current EU research policy

The European Commission’s Directorate General on Research publicly launched the 7th European Research Programme (FP7) at a conference held by the German Presidency in Bonn on January 15-16, 2007. The 7th Research Framework Programme will run from 2007-2013. The first calls for proposals under FP7 were issued on 22 December 2006. Information days for potential applicants were held across the EU during February 2007 (including one in Brussels on the 7-8 February attended by Silvia (...)

Involving NGOs in the WHO/EURO Action Plan on Mental Health

Mental Health Europe, an EPHA member, has organised a seminar for NGOs on the World Health Organisation European Region Declaration and Action Plan on mental health. A report is now available. The event, linked with their General Assembly on 3-4 June 2005, was part of MHE’s EU funded project “Coordination of capacity building, the fight against discrimination, and awareness raising in the mental health field: a European challenge!”. Following the Helsinki conference on (...)

No EU agreement on driving and rest times

The Commission tabled in August 2003 a proposal for a Directive on minimum conditions for the implementation of Directive 2002/15/EC, (which came into force in March 2005) and Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 3820/85 and 3821/85 concerning working time and social legislation relating to road transport activities. This Directive only covers commercial traffic. The European Parliament’s Transport Committee modified the proposal on 15 March 2005. MEPs disagreed with the Council’s (...)

Commission report on the challenges of biometrics

The Commission has published the report ’Biometrics at the Frontiers: Assessing the Impact on Society’. The study assesses how biometric technologies, like fingerprinting and iris and face recognition, will impact on our daily lives. The report is published in the context of the new EU requirement for biometric passports, visas and residence permits from 2006. Biometrics are often thought of only in terms of security and border controls, but the report makes the claim that (...)

Bioethics at stake in the new FP7

The European Commission encounters a sound opposition from the European Parliament to introducing European funding for research on human embryo and embryonic stem cells in the next 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7). On the 20 September 2005, a group of 73 MEPs have signed a letter to the European Commission President, Manuel Barroso, calling the Commission to respect the principle of subsidiarity in the matter: Member States should decide if they want to fund research on the human (...)

Economic data about health and long-term care for the elderly

The implications of demographic and non-demographic factors for future health and long-term care costs were discussed at a stakeholder conference organised by the Commission on 21-22 February 2005. "Understanding trends in disability among elderly populations and the implications of demographic and non-demographic factors for future health and long-term care costs" was co-organised by the Commission Working Group on Ageing and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (...)

Secretariat News April 2005

Sidsela Nyebak joined the team on 18 April 2005 for a 6 months internship. One of her first tasks will be to analyse the Commission’s draft of the new Health and consumer protection programme. A Policy Coordination Meeting was held on 13 April and the next meeting will be on 25 May 2005. Presentations Lara Garrido-Herrero gave a presentation on 16 April to the participants of the 2005 Network Meeting organised by the European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP) from 13 to the 16 (...)

WHO discusses opportunities and threats of animal to human transplantation

Transplantation of animal organs, living cells and tissues into humans is termed xenotransplantation. Recent experiments have shown that the transplantation of organs from genetically modified pigs into baboons can yield moderate to good results and this raises hopes for the future of organ transplantation from pigs to humans. However these, along with existing claims of treatments for diabetes or neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, are still at a very embryonic (...)

Commission discloses members of its nutrition policy advisory body

The Euopean Commission announced the list of the 36 members of the Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health 21 April 2005 (the call for applications was launched in August 2004). The aim of this group is to provide input into the preparation, revision and evaluation of legislative proposals in the areas of food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and human nutrition. The group is supposed to meet at least twice a year and be chaired by the (...)

European doctors adopt positions on professional mobility and fighting tobacco

The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), an EPHA member, issued three statements in connection with their board and general assembly meeting on 7 and 8 April 2005 in Brussels. The statements are as follows: ’Health Care Professionals Crossing Borders - Exchange of Information between Competent Authorities’ supporting the idea of a well-functioning network between authorities concerned but stating that information exchanged should be limited to convictions that have (...)