Healthy diets and food

[EPHAC response] Review of the CAP schemes providing agricultural products to school children

This article is a contribution to DG Agriculture public consultation on the Review of the CAP Schemes Providing Agricultural Products to School Children EPHAC response to CONSULTATION ON THE REVIEW OF THE CAP SCHEMES PROVIDING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN EPHAC response is based on our reflection on the Commission’s consultation background documents. Summary: EPHAC welcomes the opportunity to provide the European Commission with input from a public health angle in (...)

[EPT] CAP reform – new regulations - Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) revision for 2014-2020

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) revision for 2014-2020 The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is due to be reformed by 2013. After a wide-ranging public debate the Commission presented on 18 November 2010 a Communication on "The CAP towards 2020", which outlines options for the future CAP and launched the debate with the other institutions and with stakeholders. On 12 October 2011 the Commission presented a set of legal proposals designed to make the CAP a more effective policy for a more (...)

EU Agriculture Ministers reach agreement on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform

On 19 March 2013, agriculture ministers from the EU’s Member States agreed a negotiating position on reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP). They reached an agreement on a number of issues: (1) the general approach to the proposals for the direct payments regulation; (2) the regulation for single common market organisation (CMO); (3) the rural development regulation; (4) and the horizontal regulation within the framework of reform of the CAP. Background - common agricultural (...)

UK doctors ask for taxing fizzy drinks and ban junk food ads to act against obesity epidemic

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, representing nearly every doctor in the United Kingdom, calls on unhealthy foods to be addressed with anti-tobacco-like campaigns as current measures are clearly failing. The UK is the "fat man" of Europe. This phrase, which reflects the shocking reality that one quarter of UK inhabitants are obese and up to one third are overweight, is the starting point of Measuring Up: the medical profession’s prescription for the nation’s obesity (...)

[Update] Audiovisual Media Service Directive Implementation

A Greener Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) crucial for Public Health Community

The European Policy Centre (EPC) think tank, in cooperation with the World Wide Fund (WWF) European Policy Office, organised a Policy Dialogue on 14 February, on the topic of ‘What future for the Common Agricultural Policy?’ The European Public Health & Agriculture Consortium (EPHAC) contributed to the debate highlighting the messages of the public health community towards the ongoing CAP reform. Discussions on the common agricultural policy (CAP) are already heated, with (...)

Consultation for the review of the European policy on organic agriculture

Organic farming and production play a significant economic role in the EU’s agricultural landscape. They can provide a market-oriented alternative for agricultural producers wishing to respond to the increasing demand for high-quality, eco-friendly products. In this consultation, the European Commission would like your views on how organic farming should be best developed. The Public Consultation is available on the website of the European Commission Background - organic farming (...)

Sugar users ‘disappointed’ by agriculture committee vote to keep sugar quotas

Sugar users were dealt a blow on sugar quota reform, after the European agriculture committee voted to extend the current system to 2020, rejecting a proposal to end quotas by 2015. Further detaild are available in the Food navigator website EPHA related articles EU and Member States’ strategies on nutrition, overweight and obesity WHO Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health National Obesity Forum Annual Conference "Obesity and the Economics of Prevention: (...)

Evaluation of the EU School Fruit Scheme 2012: promising results

The scheme, agreed by the Council in 2008 and fully supported by the European Parliament, is an important EU-wide initiative providing fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren. To date, the EU School Fruit Scheme’s evaluation shows an adequate and necessary contribution to more balanced nutrition in the vulnerable target group. Small modifications in the implementation of the EU School Fruit Scheme will further increase and deepen the Scheme’s impact. The main objective of the EU (...)

Health as a key to sustainable development - EPHA open letter

As the Environment Council meets in Luxembourg to debate the outcome and follow-up to the Rio + 20 conference, EPHA Sends an open letter to Ministers. In the letter, EPHA supports the efforts made by the Council to support sustainable development and the Beyond GDP agenda, and EPHA suggests environment Ministers include a health dimension in their conclusions on sustainable developlent.