February Newsletter 2010

CSCG February Meeting- Brainstorming session

The Civil Society Contact Group had a brainstorming session on the future of the Contact Group. You can find a summary of the discussion and reccomendation made at the meeting here. In February 2010, the members of the CSCG met to discuss the future of the group. The members agreed on the usefulness of the group and discussed certian ways the Contact Group could be active. EPHA was present at the meeting. To promote exchange of information between the sectors, To provide a home for (...)

Royal College of Physicians manifesto for a healthier society

UK member The Royal College of Physicians this week launched a report ‘Leading for Quality – the foundation for healthcare over the next decade’ which sets out their vision for health over the coming years. In it, as part of their work on reducing the rate of obesity, they call for a ’traffic lights’ food labelling system. ‘Leading for Quality – the foundation for healthcare over the next decade’ sets out the Royal College of (...)

Event on Food Information to Consumers

In the framework of the debates in the European Parliament (EP) on the Food Information to Consumers regulation, BEUC, the European consumers’ organisation, co-organised an event in the EP on 3 February 2010, with a view to further promote colour coding on food labels. In the framework of the debates in the European Parliament on the Food Information to Consumers regulation, EPHA attended an event co-organised by BEUC, the European consumers’ organisation in the EP on 3 (...)

*Updated* WHO Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol

Following the World Health Organization (WHO) consultation process on the global alcohol strategy in 2008, please find below a summary of the draft Global Strategy which will be debated in the World Health Assembly in May 2010. *Update* 21 May 2010 The World Health Assembly took place from 17 to 21 May 2010 in Geneva. The draft Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol was adopted by the 193 members of the United Nations on the 21th May. The Strategy is available here. After (...)

February 2010 Newsletter

Welcome to the February 2010 Newsletter After months of delay and a vast reshuffle of competence, the European Commission was approved by the Parliament and its work under this term finally started. The current period is crucial, with discussions on the next 10 years of Europe - our vision and strategy to achieve the vision - well underway, and Brussels is vying to ensure the plans reflect Europe’s needs and objectives. Commissioner Dalli started his term with a decisive and divisive (...)

NGOs’ anger at Commission failure on future of Europe

***Update*** Gender-equality advocates highlight flaws in EU2020 Strategy. The Chair of the EP Employment Committee also highlights room for improvement. The 2020 draft now has poverty reduction as one of its three priorities. On 24 November the European Commission published a public consultation document on a post-Lisbon strategy for the European Union, called “EU 2020”. This is a once-in-ten-year opportunity to influence the future direction of the EU. The post-Lisbon (...)

Commission looks at nutritional requirements for the MDP

The European Agriculture and Health Consortium (EAHC), has been asked to provide input for nutritional requirements for the The Food Aid to Most Deprived Persons Scheme (MDP) scheme. The commission is looking at including nutritional requirements in the Most Deprived Persons (MDP) Scheme. The scheme originated almost 20 years ago and historically has been used to distribute surpluses to Europes most deprived persons scheme. Because of this the MDP has never included nutritional (...)

****Updated*****Guide to the 2010 European Year for Combatting Poverty and Social Exclusion

***Updated*** the European Commission plans to change the way it measures poverty. At the same time, there is a debate going on about what poverty reduction rate to choose. With the Commission to release the "EU 2020 Strategy" in early march, civil society speaks out. When the growth and jobs strategy was launched in March 2000, EU leaders pledged to make "a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty" by 2010. And yet too many people still live in poverty with no access to basic (...)

European Parliament approves new European Commission

After a three month delay and some uncertainty, the European Parliament gave its approval for the Barroso II College of Commissioners on 9 February 2010. Members of the European Parliament met in Plenary on 9 February 2010 to confirm the new College of Commissioners. The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, approved the new Commission with 488 votes in favour, 137 against and 72 abstentions. The vote was a single vote on the whole College of Commissioners, consisting of one (...)

European Medicines Agency consultation: concept paper on revision of clinical investigation of medicinal products in rheumatoid arthritis

The European Medicines Agency has launched a consultation on a concept paper on revising clinical investigation of medicinal products other than NSAIDs in rheumatoid arthritis The European Medicines Agency has published a concept paper on the need for revision of the points to consider on the clinical investigation of medicinal products other than NSAIDs in rheumatoid arthritis (CPMP/EWP/556/95 rev. 1) (EMA/CHMP/EWP/751552/2009). The document is available here. Please provide any (...)