EU Enlargement

** Updated ** EPHA’s 2007 International Conference: Health in the Enlarged EU

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) concluded its three-year project "Building the Public Health Community across Europe" by organising an international conference. The conference "Health in the Enlarged EU" held in Bratislava on 16-17 April 2007, is settled by a final report now available.
Outcomes
In June and July 2007, EPHA publised on the Conference website several documents of the conference:
The "Health in Enlarged EU"’s Final report including the minutes of the plenary (...)

Exchange of best practice on NGO coallitions in Malta, 2006

On 14th of November, 2006 the Malta Recourse Centre (MRC) held a Practices Exchange Meeting on Networking in Public Health, in Malta .
As part of the EPHA’s Central and Eastern European project, the MRC, in cooperation with Civic Alliance Latvia (CAL), held a meeting for a variety of Maltese organisations working on public health in order to discuss the scope for setting up a public health network in Malta.
The MRC has previously been successful in establishing an Anti-poverty (...)

Training seminar on alcohol related harm and primary care, 4-5 May 2007, Budapest, Hungary

This two day training was organised within the framework of the EPHA project "Building the health community across Europe" and in partnership with Vilans (a project partner).
The main organiser of this event is the European Forum for Primary Care (hosted by Vilans), with several local partners, including the Semmelweis University in Budapest.
The programme of the event can be downloaded below.
For more information, please contact Mr Diederik Aarendonk, Coordinator of the European Forum for (...)

Do people with mental health problems benefit from a personal allocation?

In 2005-2006, Mental Health Europe, an EPHA member, carried out a pan-EUropean survey to determine if a ’personal budget’ (ie the allocation of a certain sum of money received by people suffering from disabilities to pay for people and services that assis them in their daily life) also benefits people with mental health problems.
A ’personal budget’ allows the person to be at the centre of a support network and take decision for his/her wn life.
The survey shows that in the large majority (...)

Platforms of NGOs in Latvia - The bridge to the European Union

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) in co-operation with The Civic Alliance Latvia (CAL) organised the Conference ”Platforms of NGOs in Latvia - The bridge to the European Union” on 20th of April 2006 in Riga.
The aim of the conference was to organise a discussion forum for Latvian NGOs on participation issues in decision-making processes in EU institutions.
The Conference was divided into two sessions. In the first session the representatives from NGOs in Latvia and (...)

New Slovenian pulbic health platform: the Slovene Coalition for health

Following up EPHA capacity-building seminar in January 2005, the Slovenian Coalition for health was set up on December 2005 by Slovenian orgnaisations and officially registered on 25 August, 2006.
Background
On January 2005, EPHA in co-operation with the Centre for non-governmental organisation of Slovenia (CNVOS) organised a capacity building workshop “Towards a national public health platform in Slovenia”. Expert facilitators delivered training modules on the EU and Health and (...)

Croatian Association for Sanitary Engineering runs workshop on complying with EU regulations

On 2nd of June 2006, Croatian Association for Sanitary Engineering (HUSI), one of EPHA’s newest members, organised an international workshop on "Practical Problems of Sampling".
The workshop which was held in Opatija, Croatia, was attended by organisations from Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia, and focused on legal procedures and difficulties while trying to comply with EU rules.
As an organisation based in an accession country, the Croatian Association has reported encountering several legal (...)

Developing national platforms on public health in Estonia

The Network of Estonian Non-profit Orgnaisations (NENO), in cooperation with EPHA, organised a Summer School on Networking, in Estonia from 8 to 9 September 2006.
The Summer School is organised annually for NGO’s in Estonia on current issues.
This year the Summer School focused on the ways of getting social and financial profit by delivering public services or developing enterprise.
The aim was to facilitate NGOs in following their mission and securing much-needed funding.
European Public (...)

Conference on Mobilising EU Funding for Health in new Member States

The conference “Mobilising EU Funding for Health” took place on 2nd June 2006 in Riga, Latvia.
A workshop on health funding opportunities in the Baltic states was initiated and hosted by Prof Georgs Andrejevs (MEP, Latvia ALDE), co-hosted by Dr Jolanta Dickute (MEP Lithuania ALDE) and Tunne Kelam (MEP, Estonia EPP ED).
Around 100 participants from all three Baltic countries attended the conference.
The aim of the conference was to inform participants about fundraising using EU (...)

Consultation with NGOs in Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland

From 3-7 April, 2006, EPHA’s Regional Project Coordinator Agnese Knabe visited organisations in Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland regarding partnership creation within the EPHA EU funded-project activities.
In January 2006, EPHA launched a call for the expression of interest for partnership for organisations in new EU member states.
To support the approved applicants in implementing the proposed activities, EPHA’s project coordinator visited 4 organisations (Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland): (...)

Study visit to NGOs in Estonia

From the 6 to 8 March 2006, a study visit with NGOs was organised in Estonia. The aim of the visit was to get to know how public health NGOs are working in Estonia and to establish mutual cooperation in order to strengthen the development of national platform on public health in Estonia.
Agnese Knabe and Ilze Murniece held meetings with representatives of 7 NGOs:
Network of Estonian Non-profit Organizations (NENO)
Tallinn Children’s Hospital Foundation
Estonian Blue Cross (...)

**UPDATED** The role of local NGOs in combating HIV/AIDS - The AIDS Action and Integration project

Updated with activities in Latvia - The EU-funded AIDS Action & Integration project brings together Central and Eastern European (CEE) NGOs working on HIV/AIDS and European networks to support the developmennt of NGO-based prevention and advocacy programmes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Led by the French NGO AIDES, an EPHA member, the project is implemented through exchanges of best practices and experiences. Since 2001, CEE-based NGOs, as well as European Organisations (ie AIDS Action (...)

MHE training seminar for NGOs in new EU Member States

Mental Health Europe organised on Friday 4 February 2005 a training seminar entitled “European policies towards the integration of people with mental health problems”. The main objective of the seminar was to make NGOs in the new EU Member States familiar with EU policies that are relevant for people with mental health problems.
The seminar was organised within the framework of the EU Co-ordination Non Discrimination Programme, which coordinates fight against discrimination and (...)

Developing a national platform for public health in Slovenia, January 2005

As part of a DG SANCO funded project, EPHA is working towards developing capacity among health NGOs and organisations in the new Member States.
The goal is to foster the development of national platforms of NGOs in each country that will support networking at a national level and provide greater integration of CEE structures into European networks and activities.
On 24-25 January 2005, a capacity building workshop was organised in Ljubljana in partnership with EPHA Environment Network and (...)

National NGO health platform to be set up in Latvia

On 25-26 November, Anna Jassem participated in a study visit to Riga organised by the Platform of European Social NGOs. During the visit, she had the opportunity to meet with several Latvian NGOs working on public health issues.
The main topic of discussion was the establishment of a Latvian NGO health platform and the training seminar that EPHA is planning to organise in Latvia in February 2005. These activities are part of the EPHA’s EU funded project devoted to developing the capacity (...)

Feature your NGO in the on-line directory

EPHA and EEN are launching an EU funded project to boost collaboration with non-governmental organisations based in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. Our goal is to create an extensive and comprehensive online directory of NGOs working on health and environment issues that is searchable and freely available on the internet.
The Directory lists pan-European networks active on health issues and national NGOs in each of the CEE, SEE and NIS countries.
Consult the Directory
If you want (...)

April 2004 newsletter

Welcome to the April 2004 edition of the EPHA Newsletter,
The European landscape is experiencing rapid change.
More than a decade of political expectation and administrative preparation comes to a climax on Saturday 1 May 2004 as the EU-15 becomes the EU-25.
Recent national elections in a number of European countries have resulted in changes in government and rekindled hope of an agreement on a new EU Treaty by the close of the Irish Presidency.
About 2/3rds of the 732 MEPs elected on (...)

Enlargement and environmetal legislation

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) released on 30 April 2004 a report titled "Environmental results of the accession process".
The report puts together opinions from environmental NGOs in the new Member States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus).
It concludes saying that inadequate administration and funding is holding back environmental and legal changes.
EEB press (...)

The Reform Treaty: strengths and shortcomings

On 19 October 2007 EU leaders agreed the precise text of the Reform Treaty, which is due to be formally signed on 13 December 2007 in order to take effect in January 2009. The purpose of this article is to explore the main innovations included in the new treaty.
The rejection of the Constitutional Treaty by popular vote in France and the Netherlands was followed by a reflection period. This provided an opportunity to review new options for institutional governance of the European Union. (...)

**Updated** Romania and Bulgaria join the EU in January 2007

Following a series of monitoring reports Bulgaria and Romania will be welcomed by the European Commission into the European Union on 1st January 2007, however both countries are required to meet strict EU conditions if they are to escape "remedial measures."
A series of progress reports have been carried out by the European Commission, to assess whether Romania and Bulgaria were ready for EU membership. Although the reports go through the different aspects of the acquis communautaire, this (...)

UPDATED EC consultation: health as a driver of cohesion policy

This article has been updated with EPHA’s response to the Consultation (attached).
The Commission adopted on 5 July a proposal for Community Strategic Guidelines entitled “Cohesion Policy in Support of Growth and Jobs: Community Strategic Guidelines, 2007-2013”, setting priorities on the use of the Structural and Cohesion Funds for the period 2007-2013, which includes investment in health.
The draft guidelines present a "healthy workforce" as one of the objectives of cohesion (...)

Three new bodies to coordinate more efficiently the EU fight against HIV pandemic

Following the Dublin Ministerial Conference “Breaking the Barriers - Partnership to fight AIDS/HIV in Europe and Central Asia”, the European Commission set up 3 bodies dedicated to coordinating the fight against HIV/AIDS in Europe and neighbouring countries.
The situation in new EU Member States and their neighbours particularly raises concern. In EU’s eastern neighbours, the rates of new infections are among the highest in the world especially in the Russian Federation, Ukraine (...)

Call for proposals: strengthening civil society in new MS

The area of Freedom, Security and Justice of the European Commission has published a call for proposals to support civil society in the ten Member States which acceded to the European Union on 1st May 2004, in the areas of the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights, media pluralism and the fight against corruption.
Deadline for projects is the 15 February 2005.
Commission press release
Official call for proposals
Guidelines to the grant application (...)

EU ministers address HIV/AIDS threat in Europe

EU health ministers and AIDS experts from across the EU met in Vilnius, Lithuania on 16-17 September 2004 for a conference entitled Europe and HIV/AIDS: New Challenges, New Opportunities. It was organised jointly by the Lithuanian government and the European Commission and followed up on the Ministerial Conference on HIV/AIDS of 23-24 February this year during the Irish Presidency of the EU (see related EPHA’s article).
The main outcome of the conference was the adoption of a (...)

Speeches from health Commissioners, June 2004

Mr David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, gave a speech in the European Health Managers Association (EHMA) Annual Conference in Berlin on the 23rd June 2004.
The speech, titled "Enabling health - Empowering citizens", mentions some of the Commission achivements on health of the past years and emphasizes the necessity of empowering people to assume responsibility for their health.
Byrne also gave a speech in June on "The role of diet: How to inform consumers" (...)

IGC adopts a new Constitution for Europe

EU leaders concluded the Brussels Summit on 18 June 2004 by reaching agreement on the text of the new Treaty which provides a Constitution for Europe.
Currently the EU is governed by the Nice Treaty, signed in December 2000 and which came into force in February 2003. The New Constitutional Treaty will, if ratified, enter into force in 2009.
The Irish Prime Minister stated:
"The Constitutional Treaty brings the Union’s basic law into one document for the first time. It reflects the needs of (...)

IGC final preparatory meeting before Brussels Summit

The IGC met at Foreign Minister level in Luxembourg on Monday, 14 June 2004. The meeting was to prepare final negotiations ahead of the Summit of Heads of State or Government level in Brussels on 17/18 June.
The Foreign Ministers had met on 17-18 May and again on 24 May to identify areas of consensus. Read the related EPHA article. The Irish Presidency commented:
"This morning we had a very productive meeting. Most of our discussion was focused on document CIG 80/04, which was circulated (...)

IGC - results of the Foreign Ministers Meeting on 24 May 2004

The Irish Presidency has prepared a new document CIG 79/04, dated 10 June 2004 on the progress of the IGC negotiations based on the comments and discussions from the EU Foreign Minister’s meetings on 17-18 and 24 May 2004.
The Presidency states that the new draft document includes some additional points on which there now appears to be broad consensus and a series of purely technical/legal adjustments. The new draft text is designed to prepare the Foreign Ministers meeting on 14 June 2004 (...)

Results of the European Parliament Elections

The first European Parliament elections in the enlarged EU were marked by voter apathy and punishment of national ruling parties.
The turnout fell even lower than the 1999 elections. Just 45.5% of voters filled out ballots, with low participation rates in many of the 10 new Member States where an average of 26.4 % of people bothered to exercise their electoral options. The lowest turnout was in Slovakia, where fewer than 17% cast their votes.
The overall balance of the 732-member (...)

Website launched on European Parliament Elections

The European Parliament has launched a new website about the elections which will be held across Europe on 10-13 June 2004.
The website includes lists of candidates, statistics about each country and an overview of the outgoing Parliament (1999 - 2004).
EP Elections website

An enlarged EU: an opportunity for health?

1st May 2004 represents a both historical and symbolic landmark in the process of European integration.
Initiated more than 50 years ago, the concept of the European Union now includes some of the countries that once belonged to the former Communist block.
While undoubtedly a milestone in the ‘ever wider and closer’ European experiment, this new enlargement also raises a whole range of serious challenges particularly in terms of health and health policies.
Importance of Enlargement
In (...)

Czech nominee for Commissioner appears before the Parliament

The European Parliament held hearings on 13-15 April 2004 for the new Commissioners nominated by the 10 acceeding countries. Mr Pavel Telicka, the Czech Commissioner designate will shadow Commissioner Byrne on the Health and Consumer Protection portfolio.
Mr Telicka confirmed his interest in remaining for the next Commission (2004 - 2009) but said it would be premature to identify a portfolio. He told MEPs that he preferred for DG SANCO to remain intact in the new Commission (2004 - 2009) (...)

CEE Health Ministers meet Commission and WHO

The 2nd Conference of Ministers of Health of the European Union acceding countries, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Netherland, Greece, EC and WHO will be organised in the Czech Republic on 1-4 April 2004.
Speakers include the Czech and Irish Ministers of Health, representatives of the Council of Europe and Mr Pavel Telicka, shadow EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs. The conference entitled Ageing Europe - demographic changes and proposed solutions, challenge or threat? has the (...)

IGC ends in failure

The InterGovernmental Conference ended without agreement during the day on Saturday 13 December 2003. The voting weights for Spain and Poland were the issue that brought the IGC to a standstill.
What does this mean for the draft Constitutional Text? Several commentators have noted that there is likely to be a period of reflection and stock-taking rather than a rush to re-start negotiations. It is expected that the Irish government will produce a status report in Spring 2004 but any (...)

IGC - Initial positions of Member States on health

EU Foreign Ministers met in Brussels on 27 October 2003 to discuss a number of issues from the IGC. To prepare the meeting, on 24 October 2003, the IGC Secretariat published on their website a summary document of the responses from Member States on non-institutional issues from the Constitutional Treaty.
Article I-3: EU objectives The Greek government requested that ’public health’ be included
Article III-6: Services of General Economic Interest Spain requested a return to the original (...)

11 European health ministers sign the "Prague Declaration"

Last 21 September, Health ministers of eight new Member States (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia), as well as Austria, Greece and Italy, set up a Steering Group of health ministers to cooperate more closely in the field of health and social care.
The so-called "Prague Declaration" was signed in the presence of representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Please find it attached at the end of this article.
In this (...)

European Parliament Takes on 162 New Members

On 1 May 2003, the European Parliament grew to 788 members, when 162 members from the 10 new member states joined the house as observers.
Parliamentary observers from accession countries arrive at EP
Enlargement and observers

Accession Treaty Signed

The accession treaty was signed on 16 April 2003 at the informal European Council by the current 15 EU Member States and Cyprus, Czech republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia. The 5th enlargement of the EU will take place on 1 May 2004, although these government representatives will participate in Council and Parliament activites as observers between now and next May.
More (...)

Enlargement Countries Join EMEA Board

From 1 April 2003 Experts from the 10 first wave accession countries will participate as observers in the Scientific Committees and working parties of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA). This builds on a preparatory training and exchange programme run between EMEA and the CEE countries financed through the EU Phare programme.
The EMEA press (...)

April 2003, More Competences for EU on Public Health

In order to build a Europe of Health, action should be taken in a number of important areas, for example, in the context of communicable diseases and the threat of bioterrorism, says EU Commissioner David Byrne, in an interview for the EurActiv.com online newspaper.

EPHA Participates in a Workshop on the Draft Bulgarian Public Health Law

The Technical Assistance Information Exchange Office (TAIEX) of DG Enlargement in co-operation with the Bulgarian Ministry of Health, DG Sanco and WHO Europe organised on 24-26 February 2003 to support and inform the Bulgarian Government in refining its ambitiously comprehensive new law on Public Health.
Bulgaria is an accession country currently aiming to achieve membership in 2007.
Stephen Gordon, General Secretary of the European Council for Classical Homeopathy represented EPHA at the (...)

NGO Priorities in Eastern Europe

EPHA conducted a survey on Enlargement and Health to identify the priorities and needs of health NGOs in Central and Eastern European countries. Please find a PDF version of the survey below.

European GMO control network expands

On 30th of April 2004, 24 national enforcement laboratories from the acceding countries have joined the European Network of Genetically Modified Organisms’ (GMO) Laboratories (ENGL).
The ENGL, which previously included 47 control laboratories from Member States will expand to 71 with 24 labs from the Acceding Countries.
An enlarged ENGL will improve the network’s ability to detect and screen GMOs and provide a sound scientific basis for enforcing biotechnology legislation.
The (...)

Prevalence of TB and Inequalities in Health Care for Roma in Europe

This article gives details of two new reports regarding the health of Roma people in Europe. Firstly the prevalence of TB in Roma communities is addressed in the report Confronting a Hidden Disease: TB in Roma Communities, and secondly, the inequalities in health services is highlighted in a report by the European Roma Rights Centre
TB in Roma Communities
Confronting a Hidden Disease: TB in Roma Communities is a new report by Marta Schaaf of the World Lung Foundation, on behalf of the Open (...)

*UPDATED* Patient Mobility in the European Union - case studies

*UPDATED with the results of the conference in October 2006.* The Europe for Patients project has published a book on "Patient Mobility in the European Union - learning from experience" in close collaboration with the World Health Organisation European Observatory on Health systems and Policies.
The authors have gathered cases studies from the EU 25 Member States in order to point out the challenges and benefits arising from patient mobility in Europe. These include arrangements between (...)

Health Gaps in the Wider Europe: 10 Health Questions about the EU’s Neighbours

The World Health Organisation Europe Region has released a book which provides information on the health gaps of Eastern European countries, in order to support Member States improve the health of the population.
Europe is not uniform with regard to health and health status. Besides, health systems vary significantly between countries and these disparities are not always well recognised.
At the same time, abundant health data and health systems knowledge do exist, and comparing them across (...)

What is European Citizenship and who is responsible?

The European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) is concerned that "European citizenship" is an issue that belongs to everyone and yet no one is claiming responsibility for it. ECAS has issued a petition to encourage the European Parliament to create a forum in which this increasingly important issues can be discussed.
Many questions need to be answered regarding what it means to be a European Citizen. The European institutions need to ensure that their policies and processes represent the views (...)

Eurobarometer indicates high misconceptions about HIV/AIDS

Findings from the Commission’s latest Eurobarometer on HIV/AIDS has identified an alarming lack of understanding about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially in new member states.
The survey, which looks at attitudes towards HIV across the 25 member states of the European Union (EU), asked 25,000 people for their views. Attitudes towards how HIV can be transmitted have declined since a similar survey in 2002. The Eurobarometer on HIV/AIDS found that most (...)

Improving Romani health status - the role of health mediator programs

Open Society Institute Network Public Health Program has published a report entitled “Mediating Romani Health: Policy and Program Opportunities”. The report examines an initiative of several Eastern European governments, known as Roma Health Mediator (RHM) programs.
Based on a study of the Roma health mediator model in Bulgaria, Finland, and Romania, it aims to identify both the potential and shortcomings of health mediator programs (RHM) in addressing the determinants of (...)

Making civil dialogue work better

The Civil Society Contact Group , of which EPHA is a member, is running a study on the participation of civil society organisations in the EU policy process.
The study will be published by the end of April 2006. Its aim is to give some input to important debates at the European level such as Plan D, improving transparency and the future since the failed constitutional process.
Up till now, there are many missing points in the development of the civil dialogue such as lack of coherence (...)

EU Health and Safety agency 2005 priorities: end of year review

In 2005 the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao set out to tackle noise and the impact on workers’ hearing, and the link with stress and accidents.
Other priorities were emerging risks, safety and health awareness in the new Member States, protecting young workers and the occupational safety and health implications of Europe’s ageing workforce.
Major information initiatives included:
A Europe-wide information campaign focusing on the risks of excessive noise at work (...)

Report on the relationship between quality of work and quality of life

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has published a report on the relationship between the quality of work and the quality of life in Europe.
The report, entitled ’Working and Living in an Enlarged Europe’ , is a response to the focus in recent years on the interrelationship between economic and social development. Using a range of quantitative comparable data from the spring 2002 Eurobarometer the report is an initial attempt to analyse (...)

Eight central European countries to promote Roma inclusion

Eight Central European Countries have launched the project Decade of Roma Inclusion in Sofia (Bulgaria) on 2 February 2005.
The project is sponsored by the Open Society Institute and the World Bank, and it is also supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Commission.
Running from 2005 up to 2015, it aims at improving social inclusion and economic status of Roma people. Health condition is on top of the agenda.
Roma Health Data
More than seven million (...)

Report highlights discrimination against Roma, Gypsies and Travellers

The treatment of Roma, Gypsies and Travellers "has become one of the most pressing political, social and human rights issues facing Europe" according to a new European Commission report entitled "The Situation of Roma in an Enlarged EU".
Examining the conditions Roma, Gypsies and Travellers face in a range of fields, including education, employment, housing and healthcare, the report sets out both good and bad practice in policies and programmes for Roma.
There is limited data of (...)

Health trends in new EU Member States

A recent report by the Health Department of the London School of Economics and Institut des Sciences de la Santé offers an extensive study of health status in the new EU Member States. The report focuses on three main areas: the overall health trends in the new member states, the impact of health system financing in the CEE countries and the consequences of joining the European Union. EPHA members can read a report of the Report launch.
Lagging behind the "old" Member States
Of the ten new (...)

EU forecasts limited migration after enlargement

A Eurobarometer study shows that only about 1 % of the population of the new Member States intends to move to western Europe to study and work.
The new study from the European Foundation for the Improvement in Living and Working Conditions, shows that the typical potential migrants are young, educated to tertiary level, or still studying, and living as a single person with no dependents. There is an increasing tendency for them to be female, particularly in growing sectors such as (...)

Call for Proposals on Enlargement - Partnerships with Civil Society

After the successful conclusion of a first call for proposals, which focused on the audiovisual sector (October 2002), the European Commission Directorate General for Enlargement (acting within the framework of the PRINCE programme) is allocating some 5 million euros to target civil society constituencies and networks (i.e. youth, sensitive sectors of society, rural population and enterprises, etc). Under this call for tender, the European Commission will co-finance proposals covering at (...)

New Member States will become assets for the EU

The Commission’s fifth annual report on the Social situation in Europe forecasts the new Member States will become major drivers of economic growth and social improvement. Their key assets are well educated reserves of workers.
The report is the first to cover an enlarged EU of 25 Member States. Experience of past enlargements shows that although the EU is currently faced with more acute problems of poverty, deprivation and inequality, there will be a benefit over time.
The report makes (...)

On-line forum on enlargement and trade

Polish Commissioner Danuta Hubner is now installed at DG TRADE and will shadow Pascal Lamy for 6 months.
Ms Danuta Hubner will be given the post of Assistant-commissioner for Trade.
Although the new Commissioners will not have their own portfolio they will have voting rights.
You can post all kind of questions on enlargement and trade to Ms Hubner and Mr Lamy on the on-line forum set up to mark the occasion.
Photo credit: DG Trade image (...)

Competent Authorities Meeting for Medical Devices

The medical devices Competent Authorities met in Athens, under the Greek Presidency, on the 16 and 17 January 2003.
21 countries were represented: European Union, future member States and EFTA countries. Issues discussed include:
Enlargement of the EU,
Commission Communication on medical devices,
Safety concerns presented by medical software,
Transparency and
Patient (...)