Press Releases

EU Alcohol Strategy: People or profits - Who’s being served? - Eurocare press release

The European Commission is due to publish the much-awaited EU strategy on reducing alcohol-related harm. Eurocare urges the European Commission to resist the alcohol industry pressure to water down the future Strategy.
People or profits - Who’s being served?
On the 25 October what will the Commission decide?
Leading public health agencies and non-governmental organizations in Europe are calling on the European Commission to resist alcohol industry pressure to abandon its alcohol harm (...)

REACH and breastfeeding: Breast is still the best

EPHA Environment Network, International Babyfood Action Network (IBFAN) and Friends of the Earth have joined forces to protect breastfeeding in the campaign for safer EU chemical policy, known as REACH
On Tuesday 27 June 2006, in the European Parliament, Friends of the Earth Europe launched “Toxic Inheritance”, a report revealing that traces of 300 man-made chemicals are found in breast milk.
The report examines studies that analyse breast milk to measure persistent pollutants (...)

8 March 2006: calling for a gender specific EU strategy on children’s well being

On International Women’s Day, the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and the Europe Region of the Wolrd Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts call for a gender-specific comprehensive EU strategy on the well-being of children and young people. You can download below our joint press release.

NGOs call on MEPs to stop misleading health claims on food

EPHA, the European Heart Network, Eurocare and EuroCoop have issued a joint statement on proposed EU Regulation on health and nutrition claims for food. The statement was released on 8 January 2004 at a public hearing in the European Parliament organised to gather stakeholder views on the Regulation.
The NGOs are calling upon MEPs to take account of these key public health issues when the Regulation goes to a vote in the Plenary session of March 2004.
Health and nutrition claims only to be (...)

Joint EPHA - Greenpeace Press Release: ’Protect the Public from Chemicals in Household Products’

Research shows that dust collected from homes across Europe contains substantial amounts of hazardous chemicals, some of them linked to cancer. The Greenpeace report ’Consuming Chemicals’ reveals that homes are contaminated by "hidden" toxic chemicals contained in everyday household consumer products including textiles, televisions, cosmetics and toys.
At a press conference in Brussels the European Public Health Alliance and the European Consumers Organisation (BEUC) joined (...)

EPHA press release: Will Europe be healthy in 2057? Give us reasons to celebrate! Don’t forget health!

Brussels, 23 May 2007 - On the 25th March the European Union celebrates its 50th birthday and defines its vision for the next 50 years. European leaders must recognise that the health of European Citizens is key to achieving the mission and values of the EU.
The credibility of the EU’s positions on trade, environment, development and international health issues, rests upon a clear focus and priority on public health in the Berlin Declaration.
Speaking on behalf of the European Public (...)

ECJ ruling on rights to EU residency

The European Court of Justice has upheld the opinion of the Advocate General that residency rights can derive from the private provision of health services.
The United Kingdom Home Office refusal to allow a Chinese woman and her Belfast-born daughter to live permanently in Britain has been declared illegal under European Union law.
European Court judges acknowledged that the woman, Man Levette Chen, deliberately had her child in Belfast to win UK residency rights for herself. But that did (...)

EP Recommendation on Stock-farming and Damaging Substances

Karl Erik OLSSON (ELDR, S) will be putting forward a draft legislative resolution on prohibition of substances with hormonal or thyrostatic action and beta-agonists in stock-farming.
MEPs in the committee argue that the precautionary principle should be applied to safeguard consumers’ health in view of the perceived danger posed by this substance, which may be carcinogenic.
However, they say that exceptions could be made for the treatment of non-farm animals, i.e. animals not used for (...)

EP’s Proposal to Amend the Directives on Public Supply, Service and Works Contracts

As part of a joint debate on the public sector markets, Stefano ZAPPALA (EPP-ED, I), for the Legal Affairs Committee, is calling for further changes to the Council’s common position on new public procurement rules.
One amendments calls for 12% and 20% increases respectively in the thresholds for contracts and connected service contracts directly subsidised by the contracting authorities by more than 50%, in the areas of civil engineering and building work for hospitals, sport, recreation (...)

May 2003, EPHA Press Release - The new draft Treaty : a missed opportunity

The new draft of the Constitutional Treaty was published on Monday 26 May 2003 by the Convention Praesidium. Disappointingly, public health is not included in Article I-3 as an overall objective for the EU. This press release provides EPHA’s reaction to the draft document.

EPHA communicated position on GMOs to all Commissioners, May 2008

On 5 May 2008, EPHA contacted EU Commissioners, informing them of EPHA’s position regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
On 10 June 2008, EPHA received an official response from Commissioner Louis Michel thanking EPHA for the letter which allowed a ’decision making process with sound knowledge of the position of all concerned’.
EPHA would like to thank Commissioner Michel for considering public health in this debate.
EPHA’s letter sent to all Commissioners on 5 May 2008 was (...)

Report Highlights Cost Factors in Choosing Healthy Foods

Healthy eating costs more in convenience stores, according to a recent report on the cost of healthy eating and specialised diets in Ireland.
The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) have released a report on the cost of healthy eating and specialised diets in Ireland, which focuses on the varying costs of healthy foods.
The report is the most comprehensive review of specialised diets and food costs that has been carried out in Ireland in the past decade. The study examines how (...)

EP’s Report: CAP and Women in Rural Areas

In the light of the mid-term review of the Common Agriculture Policy, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities is putting forward an own-initiative report by Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU (EPP-ED, GR) underlining the importance to improve equal opportunities for women in agriculture and the rural environment.
It is crucial to improve the general living conditions for women in rural areas, for example by providing better public transport facilities, childcare, and health (...)

Joint NGO Press Release: ’A missed opportunity to pave the way for sustainable agriculture in the EU?’

The continuing failure of Agriculture Ministers to reach any agreement on reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a big let down for Europe’s citizens. The meeting of the EU Agriculture Council was delayed on 19 June 2003 so that the French Delegation could contact President Chirac to establish whether there is any flexibility in his ’NON’ position.
CAP reform has enormous potential benefits for health and welfare, consumers, the environment and sustainable farming in both the EU (...)

Commission continues infringement procedure against Finland over oral tobacco

The European Commission has decided to continue the infringement procedure against Finland due to its non-compliance with the Court judgement that confirmed Finland’s failure to comply with a Directive prohibiting oral tobacco from being placed on the market.
In July 2007, The European Commission sent a Reasoned Opinion to Finland for non-compliance with Article 8 of Directive 2001/37/EC on the manufacture, presentation, and sale of tobacco products.
In addition, the Commission believes (...)

MEPs backtrack on smoking ban in EP premises!

After only 43 days, the European Parliament has reversed a decision to prohibit smoking in their buildings. Health organisations condemn European Parliament for failing to protect staff and visitors and wasting millions of Euros. It is also worth noting that the vote comes two weeks after the Green Paper on smoke free places is released.
PRESS RELEASE (full version attached) -
On Monday 12th February, the European Parliament Bureau voted 14 to 1 to scrap recently introduced provisions (...)

Childrens’ book on allergies provokes controversy

A children’s book which appears to promote anti-allergy medicines is to be investigated by a UK government watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) paid for the book, "Mr Sneeze and his Allergies", which was produced in collaboration with the charity Allergy UK.
The story of Mr Sneeze allergies’ is followed by four pages of information on allergies from Allergy UK and two pages promoting the use of GSK products Piriteze and Piriton.
More (...)

Council Recommendation on Drug Dependence

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council has adopted a Recommendation, on the prevention and reduction of health-related harm associated with drug dependence.
The Recomendation calls on Member States to make available a range of different services and facilities, particularly aiming at risk reduction.
Particular emphasis is placed on the prevention of drug-related infections (such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases).
For further details, please consult (...)

Commission to Clamp Down on Unfair Commercial Practices

The European Commission is poised to table a new Framework Directive to plug loopholes in existing legislation and clamp down on unfair commercial practices.
In the proposal it is hoping to approve at its June 18 meeting, the Commission says it wants to establish an updated, flexible and harmonised consumer protection framework, on the one hand, and and promote good business practice across an enlarged EU, on the other.
The EU executive reckons that the promotion and guarantee of "fair (...)

The extent of pollution in people!

After having focused for decades on the pollution of air, water and earth, the scientific society have showed interest for other polluted places that had been ignored until today: people.
Last January, American researchers revealed that chemical contaminants have been found in the bodies of new Americans.
This project has been developed in collaboration between the School of Medicine of Mt Sinai (New York) and the NGOs Commonweal (California) and the Environmental Working Group (...)

*UPDATED* World Intellectual Property Day: Governments should not ignore WHO independent Commission report

*UPDATED with the results of the World Health Assembly, May 2006.* World Intellectual Property Day, held on 26 April, was marked by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urging governments not to ignore the conclusions of World Health Organisation commissioned report on intellectual property and public health.
The Report of the Commission on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Public Health(CIPIH) entitled "Public health: innovation and intellectual property rights" was published earlier in (...)

MSF and Oxfam say WTO drugs deal is "flawed"

The WTO agreement of 30 August 2003, which is ostensibly intended to get drugs to the poorest countries, does not provide a workable solution, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Oxfam.
"Today’s deal was designed to offer comfort to the US and the Western pharmaceutical industry," said Ellen ’t Hoen of MSF. "Unfortunately, it offers little comfort for poor patients. Global patent rules will continue to drive up the price of medicines."
The original intention of the talks was (...)

Commission’s Statement on Regulatory Framework of Medical Devices

The EU regulatory framework for medical devices works well, but arrangements for implementing it could be improved, says a Commission Communication adopted on the 2 July.
Link to the Commission Press Release
Commission Dossier on Medical Devices