financial

EPHA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012 Restructuring health systems: How to promote health in times of austerity?

On the 6 June 2012, EPHA organises its 2012 Annual Conference: "Restructuring Health Systems: How to promote health in times of austerity?", hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee. Open to all and free of charge, the deadline to register is the 16 May 2012. Deadline to register: 23 May 2012 Agenda Registration The Conference aims to assess how the current crisis and its policy responses impact on health systems and how the crisis could be managed in the future so as to (...)

A European Tax on Financial Transaction would save countries €81 billion

European Parliament condemns austerity policies and call for more social inclusion

During its plenary session on 15 February, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the current austerity driven policies followed by the EU and Member States. The Parliament urged the Spring European Council (1-2 March 2012) to take up key recommendations to ensure coherence and increased ambition to achieve the Europe 2020 objectives in its decisions on the guidance for the European economy that the Council will take. The resolution is an answer to the employment and (...)

EPHA Media Coverage - Food taxes

EPHA has been leading work at the EU level to advocate for taxes to be applied to foods high in sugar, salt and fat, and for subsidies to be given to fruit, vegetables and wholegrains. The following is a summary of the press coverage which we have received for the work. Euractiv (march 2012) Health.in.gr - Δεν «χαλιναγωγείται» η παχυσαρκία (...)

EPHA express its disappointment in an Open Letter to the Polish Government on abandoned proposal to raise VAT on unhealthy food products.

In response to the news announcing that the Polish Parliament proposal to increase the current value added tax (VAT) from 8 to 23% on a series of unhealthy products, had been abandoned, EPHA has sent an Open Letter to the Polish Government. Having consistently advocated for actions to reduce the level of obesity around Europe, EPHA expressed its sincere disappointment to such a missed opportunity. EPHA Open Letter to the Polish Prime Minister and Polish Ministers of Health, Agriculture and (...)

EPHA position on the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region

On 7 October 2011, the Marmot Review Team has launched a consultation on the European Review of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region. EPHA contributed to the consultation in the framework of our campaign on health equity EPHA Response to the Marmot Review Consultation on the European Review of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region Visit the website of the UCL Institute of Health Equity (former the (...)

OECD report: Divided We Stand - The gap between rich and poor at its highest in over last 30 years

Governments must act quickly to tackle this inequality. This study disagrees with the common assumptions that the benefits of economic growth automatically trickle down.

EPHA highlights positive advocacy results on the Health for Growth programme

Register to EPHA workshop at PES Convention ’Health as a public good’

"Health as a Public Good - Fiscal measures supporting national health systems and preventing ill health" is the title of the upcoming EPHA workshop on 25 November. This will be organised by EPHA, at the invitation of the European Socialist Party, in the framework of its annual convention, and more specifically within the “just society and equality” PES workshops. In the current European political context Health is all too often seen simply as a sector with potential for (...)

EU School Fruit Scheme budget to be cut by 30% from 2012 onwards

Currently, the EU School Fruit Scheme (SFS) is up in its second year of implementation, running in 24 Member States, reaching almost 5 million schoolchildren in 32.000 schools. However, in times of austerity, Member States in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) have suggested a cut of 29 % in budget. The EU School Fruit Scheme (SFS) builds on experiences from Members States and evidence from studies examining the effectiveness of school fruit schemes in increasing fruit (...)