The Commission
Please find all related articles below.
Mental Health Europe organises a seminar on the 12 May 2006 to discuss about the European Commission Green Paper on Mental Health.
The seminar aims to exchange ideas on Mental Health Europe response to the Green Paper, more particularly on a public policy approach to Mental health, as well as an emphasis on positive Mental Health and well-being.
The second part of the seminar intends to give participants a general overview of some EU Member States’ initiatives to tackle mental disability (...)
*UPDATED* The European Commission has decided that non-child-resistant lighters are banned from the EU marketplaces.
As of the 14 March 2007, the EU required that lighters must be child-resistants. It also bans lighters which resemble objects that are attractive to children.
The deadline to comply with this regulation is the 11 March 2008.
Background
On the 08-09 February 2006, as requested by the Directive on the General Product Safety (GPSD) 2001/95/EC, the European Commission presented a (...)
On 8 December 2005, the Commission adopted a Green Paper entitled "Promoting healthy diets and physical activity: a European dimension for the prevention of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases".
The Commission’s Green Paper on the promotion of healthy diets and physical activity is the first step in an extensive public consultation on how to reduce and to prevent the rising levels of obesity and associated chronic diseases in the European Union (EU).
In order to prepare its response to (...)
The International Diabetes Federation - European region (IDF Europe) has published a position paper about the new Health and Consumer Programme for the period 2007-2013.
IDF Europe welcomes this new proposal and the focus on health determinants. However, IDF Europe is concerned that regular physical activites are not listed.
They also stress the importance of a coordinated focus on children and older people health. They want those two issues to be addressed more effectively by the (...)
European countries are the largest consumers of alcohol worldwide. More than 55,000 people aged 15-29 across Europe die each year as a result of alcohol-related road accidents, poisoning, suicide and murders according to the World Health Organisation. The WHO reports that there is a general European trend toward wider tolerance, and even approval, among young people for intoxication.
Increasingly Young People are seen as market to be targeted by the Alcohol Industry. The introduction of (...)
EPHA Secretariat has prepared a briefing note on the draft ’Regulation on Medicinal products for Paediatric Use’ published by the European Commission on 29 September 2004.
Extensive testing is required on all medicines authorised for use in adults to ensure they are safe, of high quality and effective. However, more than 50% of the medicines currently used to treat children have neither been tested or authorised for paediatric use.
The aim of the regulation is to improve children’s health (...)
EPHA Secretariat has prepared a briefing note on the new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) which was officially launched in Stockholm on 27 September.The briefing includes a comparison with the ECDC’s American counterpart the Center’s for Disease Control.
EU Health Commissioner Byrne said that he felt confident that the ECDC would really help Europe’s citizens from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS and influenza and the threat of bio-terrorism. During the day, the buzz (...)
On Wednesday 19 November 2003, EPHA organised a conference in Brussels on behalf of the European Commission, DG EuropeAid. The event brought together 120 participants ranging from Commission officials, Ministries of Foreign Affairs from EU and CEE countries, international organisations and NGOS from the EU and Belarus.
The conference Belarus: our future neighbour, Building civil society through partnership reviewed the results of the EU funded Civil Society Development Programme (2000-2003) (...)
On 28 August 2003 the British Medical Association (BMA) sent a letter to the UK delegation to the WTO Cancun Ministerial (see attached document).
On the same topic, Dr Edwin Borman (Chairman of the BMA International Committee) participated in the online web chat with Europe’s chief trade negotiator Pascal Lamy on Thursday 4th September.
The BMA submitted the following questions to the Trade Commissioner :
1. We note that the Chairman’s Statement accompanying the Decision of 30 August (...)
The Health Development Agency (NHS), a member of EPHA, is one of the partners of the project "Comprehensive Database of Health Promotion Policies, Infrastructures and Practices" to be launched in the European Parliament in Strasbourg next Tuesday 23rd September.
This project, sponsored and largely funded by DG SANCO, includes a new web-based resource and discovery tool for the development of health promotion in the EU and beyond: HP Source.
The speakers include Fernand Sauer (Director of (...)
The advocacy for the prevention of alcohol-related harm in Europe group, Eurocare says that the European Commission’s budget for Drink Driving would be better spent on publicity campaigns promoting effective policy options.
The 2.2 million Euro designated to combat drink driving will not provide value for money for European tax payers, according to Eurocare’s new report on Drinking and Driving in Europe.
Eurocare says that whilst such campaigns are appealing, they have little impact on (...)
Please find below a presentation on ’Public Health Issues and Pesticides’.
The presentation was given by Tamsin Rose at DG Environment Stakeholders Conference on Pesticides, held in Brussels on 4 November 2002.
In 2004, the Swedish government brought a case before the Court of First Instance over the Commission’s decision to permit the use of paraquat, a hazardous pesticide, in the EU. The Court of First Instance annulled Directive 2003/112 authorising the use of paraquat in July 2007.
This article has been updated with the results of the Court case.
Background
Paraquat has been banned in Sweden since 1983 and is used in herbicides for olive, wine grape and hazelnut farming in the EU.
The European (...)
A Commission Green Paper on adapting to climate change promises a 2008 Communication on the health impacts and policies necessary because of climate change.
The European Commission, DG Environment, adopted a Green Paper on Adapting to Climate Change in Europe: options for EU action , on 29 June 2007. Commissioner Stavros Dimas gave a lecture on the subject in a conference that took place in Brussels on 3 July 2007.
The Green Paper on climate change is the Commission’s first comprehensive (...)
In the framework of the 2004-2010 European Environment and Health action Plan and under the 7th Framework Programme, the European Commission is preparing a project pilot on human biomonitoring (HBM). The project aim to measure pollutants in human tissues and fluid. The data can be used to fine tune or even launch environment and health policy, and allow policy makers to identify priorities. In this project NGOs play a important role
Objectives of the Human Biomonitoring
HBM calculates (...)
The European Commission, based on a status report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), has urged EU member states to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emission in a statement that took place on 14 June, in Brussels.
Commissioner Stravos Dimas has welcomed the EEA’s report which concludes that the European Union’s greenhouse gas emission fell by 0.7% in 2005. However, Mr. Dimas has underlined that member states need to improve their efforts to limit emissions (...)
The European Commission 2006 Green Week, which ran from 30 May to 2 June 2006 focuses on changing people’s behaviour with regard to the preservation of biodiversity.
The Greek Week 2006 Conference Programme looks at key aspects of EU biodiversity policy and potential approaches for strengthening cooperation with stakeholders to ensure the 2010 target is reached. The programme is structured around four main strands:
Biodiversity as a global issue;
The management of natural resources; (...)
The European Commission has launched an on-line consultation on the revision of the 1991 Directive on Plant Protection Products.
The Directive 91/414/EEC establishes a positive list of active substances for the use in plant protection products, which have been evaluated to be safe for humans and which do not present an unacceptable risk to the environment. Only products on this list can be authorised in Member States except where transitional arrangements apply.
In 2001, the Commission (...)
Following its consultation on air quality, the European Commission has published an EU thematic strategy on air quality and ambient air quality legislation.
EPHA, EPHA Environment Network and the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) are calling the European Parliament to take a strong leadership role on that dossier.
The three organisations remind MEPs in the attached letter that according to the European Commission’s own Impact Assessment, (...)
The Commission is launching a wide consultation on its Communication Towards a European Strategy for Nanotechnology in which it proposed an integrated and responsible approach for developing nanosciences and nanotechnologies in Europe.
Nanotechnology is a new approach to research and development for controlling the fundamental structure and behaviour of matter at the level of atoms and molecules. Applications are emerging in many different areas such as health care, information (...)
The European Commission has produced a Handbook on Green Public Procurement.
It explains in clear, non-technical terms how public purchasers, such as schools, hospitals and national and local administrations, can take into account the environment when buying goods, services and works.
Each year public authorities spend some 16% of EU GDP, around 1,500 billion Euro, on goods, services and works. If they opt for environmentally sound goods, services and works, they will help the EU reach (...)
The European Commission has adopted a proposal to allocate 1 billion EUR from the reserves of the European Development Fund (EDF) to improve access to water and sanitation for people in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).
This contributes towards deliver the Milenium Development Goal to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
1.1 billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion people do not have (...)
The Comparative Research on Endocrine Disrupters (COMPRENDO) organises a workshop titled "Ecological relevance of chemically induced endocrine disruption in wildlife" next 5-7 July in Exeter (UK).
The first cluster workshop "Multi-organic risk assessment of endocrine disrupters", 31 March - 1 April in Illetas, Mallorca (Spain), organised by EURISKED is now full.
The cluster workshops are open to scientists, policy makers and stakeholders who are not members of a cluster project.
For more (...)
On 11 February 2004, DG Environment launched a consultation process on urban environment which invites comments on a draft strategy on improving the quality of life for citizens.
80 % of Europeans live in towns and cities but in many places, poor air quality, noise, heavy traffic, neglect of the built environment, poor environmental management and a lack of strategic planning have led to a lower quality of life, health problems and even premature deaths.
The Commission document identifies (...)
The European Union and China have signed an agreement on strengthening environmental co-operation on 12 November 2003. The focus of the agreement is primarily on climate change, biodiversity and water. A key objective will be to co-operate in further developing and implementing multilateral environmental agreements.
See agreement attached.
Several environmental NGOs and trade unions have expressed their dissapointment with EU’s failure to ban dangerous pesticide ’paraquat’.
The EU failed late on Friday 3 October to ban Paraquat, one of the most dangerous and controversial herbicides in the world.
The EU Commission’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health did not exclude paraquat from the list of active substances authorised at EU level (Annex 1 of the Pesticides Authorisation Directive 91/414).
Paraquat use (...)
EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health has withdrawn its approval for a potentially harmful and widely-used herbicide atrazine.
This herbicide is produced by Syngenta, a Swiss agrochemicals group.
The 45 year-old herbicide, used to kill weeds around crops, has been implicated by authorities in incidents of ground water contamination, prompting recent bans on its use in several European countries including France.
Exposure to excessive amounts of atrazine can potentially (...)
On 26 September 2003, the Commission published its response to the Council’s common position on the draft directive on Environmental Liability which is just entering second reading stage in the European Parliament.
On 18 September 2003, Council common position on the draft directive on environmental liability was formally adopted on the basis of the political agreement reached in June 2003.
The Commission considers that the Council’s common position aims to simplify the procedures and (...)
Three EU Regional Conferences serve to initiate and promote the SCALE initiative: Warsaw (6-8 October), Brussels (6-17 October) and Rome (16-17 October).
They constitute the kick-off meetings for the Technical Working Groups (TWGs), and they give the starting shot for the development of the European Environment and Health Strategy.
Click here for the Warsaw conference-programme.
Click here for the Brussels (...)
The latest studies on human exposure to indoor pollution, released on 22 September by the European Commission at its Joint Research Centre (JRC) facilities in Ispra (Italy), reveal that indoor environments pose their own threats to health and, in some cases, can be at least twice as polluting as outdoor environments.
For more information on the report, please click here.
Commission press (...)
The European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive to protect groundwater from pollution on 22 September.
The proposed Directive will decisively improve the quality of Europe’s groundwater.
It introduces monitoring requirements and quality objectives, obliging Member States to monitor and assess groundwater quality and to identify and reverse trends in groundwater pollution.
Commission press release.
Further information on water (...)
The European Commission’s process to set up technical and consultative working groups to work towards delivering a draft baseline report on environment and health in December 2003 is nearing completion.
Although information is not yet posted on DG Environment about the composition of the technical working groups, EPHA has the list of members of those that will be coordinated by DG SANCO and DG Environment.
Information available from Génon K. Jensen, EEN Project (...)
The EP voted on 4 September in the plenary session for a non-binding resolution on water management and the creation of a European Water fund.
The report was prepared by Paul Lannoye (Greens/EFA, Belgium).
The process
By letter of 12 March 2002, the Commission forwarded to Parliament a communication on water management in developing countries and priorities for EU development cooperation (COM(2002) 132 - 2002/2179(COS)).
At the sitting of 2 September 2002 the President of Parliament (...)
Last 3rd September, the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament issued a press release critisizing the water management policy for developing countries of the EU.
The great majority of the population of developing countries suffer from shortages of drinking water and medical services.
The consequences of these shortages are serious.
The number of deaths from diseases arising from a lack of drinking water and medical services is currently estimated at 30,000 per day.
Faced with this (...)
The Commission launched last 4th August a stakeholder consultation on future legislation which could introduce EU-wide upper limits for cadmium in fertilisers. Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal with serious risks to human health and the environment.
The consultation will run until 26 September 2003.
Contributions can be sent by email.
The Commission has announced last 24th July that it will take action against 8 member states: France, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Finland, for non-compliance with EU waste laws.
Serious problems for public health and the environment could be caused by this non-compliance.
Commission Press Release on waste
The same day, the Commission pointed out that 10 Member States (France, United Kingdom, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, (...)
American NGOs representing near 10,000 US citizens have backed controversial EU proposals to make companies responsible for proving the safety of the chemicals they produce or use.
WWF Article on this issue
European Commission White Paper
On 11 July 2003 the European Commission is organising a consultation meeting on the newly published Environment and Health strategy (see earlier article).
The goal of the meeting is to discuss the workprogramme for 2003-2004, set out the parameters of the consultation exercise and to identify technical working groups on key issues.
The deadline for registering is 5 July 2003.
The first review in 30 years of EU legislation on chemicals is currently at the stage of public consultation, deadline for comments is 10 July 2003. The proposed legislation is designed to control harmful and toxic chemicals which are used in every day comsumer products and which accumulate in the body.
There are currently over 100 000 chemicals approved for the EU market but there is little or no safety data on long-term exposure to many of these chemicals. This means that European (...)
Commissioners Erkki Liikanen, enterprise, and Margot Wallström, environment, unveiled an ’orientation paper’ on the EU’s new chemicals policy to commissioners last Wednesday 7 May 2003.
At the same time, the proposed ’Reach’ system - to Register, Evaluate and Authorise CHemicals - was posted online for a long-awaited final public consultation to test its workability.
The final proposal, a sweeping overhaul bringing together elements of 60 directives, will be finalised by (...)
The European Commission adopted a plan on 23 April 2003 for creating an EU Water Fund worth one billion euros.
The Fund is designed to help developing countries provide clean water for their citizens and help reach a key international development goal.
Water paper
Water letter
The EU Chemicals policy is undergoing its first review since 1981. This is am important piece of leglislation which examines authorisation of chemicals and products for the European market. Currently there are more than 100 000 chemicals in use in Europe, but there is little data on their impact on health or safety issues. The new policy document is currently in inter-service consultation between the different Commission Directorates and is epxected to be published on the Europa server in (...)
A Chernobyl-style nuclear reactor could be financed by European Union funds, environmental groups warn. A non-paper from the EU-Commission, leaked to EU Enlargement Watch and Greenpeace reveals that the Commission’s plans to raise loans are not so much about security, but in fact about more nuclear power in Russia and Eastern Europe.
http://www.eu-energy.com/pdfs/euratomloanfin.pdf
The European Commission has presented proposals for "Communicating Europe in Partnership", a document proposes joint communication priorities with other EU institutions and voluntary management partnerships with Member States.
Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy said that citizens want clear information from the EU institutions and that it’s time to end the blame game and work together.
Built on (...)
The European Commission DG SANCO, in partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), have launched a new TV advertising campaign to encourage physical activity, which will be broadcasted in Europe during the Champions League matches, in September 2007.
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_deter... The Commission’s campaign, which slogan is “Go on, get out of your armchair”, aims to encourage European citizens to make physical activity part of their daily lives. The (...)
The European Commission, DG SANCO, launched a new brochure to answer usual citizen’s questions about their rights as consumers, on July 2007.
The publication, entitled Your rights as a consumer: How the European Union protects your interests, is intended to help citizens learn more about what the EU is doing for European consumers, how it is protecting consumer’s rights, and how to uphold their rights in case of a problem.
The brochure presents clearly and briefly the main problems that (...)
The European Commission consulted the public between April and July 2007 on access to documents. The EC is planning to review the current legislation at the end of 2007. EPHA responded to the consultation.
Background information on the consultation
On 18th April 2007, the European Commission issued a Green Paper on public access to documents held by institutions of the European Community.
The right of access to documents is of crucial importance to the promotion and protection of public (...)
The Health-EU Portal of the European Commission is now available in 20 of the official EU languages, and has just sent out the "Zero edition" of its online newsletter.
The Health-EU Portal
The Health-EU Portal aims to provide European Citizens with an easy access to reliable, multilingual and comprehensive information on Public Health initiatives and programmes at EU level.
The Portal was launched in English in May 2006 at the health conference in Málaga, Spain. From May 2006 to March (...)
The Committee of Regions and European Commission (EC) DG Regional Policy will be organising a European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels on 8-11 October 2007.
The Open Days are organised by the EU Committee of Regions and the European Commission (EC) DG Regional Policy in partnership with a record 212 regions and cities from 33 countries.
The Open Days bring together different stakeholders such as EU decision makers, politicians, policy experts and civil society organisations.
The (...)
The European Commission adopted on 27 June 2007 a Communication outlining a new approach to the regional partnership agreement that is the EU-Africa Strategy. This Communication will form the basis for the discussions beetween EU and African heads of state at the EU Africa Summit in Lisbon at the ned of this year.
The Commission has adopted proposals presenting five flagship policy initiatives that embody a new approach to EU Africa relations:
EU-Africa Partnership on Energy
EU-Africa (...)
The European Commission published on 1 June 2007 a report on the results of the consultation to the EU Health Strategy, which received more than 150 contributions.
In its summary of the consultation, the European Commission acknowledges many of the contributions made by the health community. Several elements of EPHA’s contribution are taken into account in the summary of the consultation.
The general points made by the contributors to this consultation are listed below:
Support to the (...)
Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Competition, announced on 18th April 2007, that the Commission has decided to fine Dutch brewers Heineken, Grolsh and Bavaria a total of €273 million for operating a cartel on the beer market in the Netherlands.
Between at least 1996 and 1999, the brewers made secret and illegal agreements to fix prices, divide up markets and exchange confidential information between the competitors. According to the Commission, this practice kept the price of beer (...)
The European Commission (DG SANCO) and the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe have launched seven new jointly funded projects in the area of health. The projects will implemented by WHO/Europe over a three-year period.
The overall budget for the projects is 4,232,963, with the European Union’s Public Health Programme covering 60% of the cost. The two organisations will work together at political, technical and operational levels, with the aim of providing better support (...)
New proposals for more effective and focused research have been presented by the European Commission in a Green Paper entitled "The European Research Area: New Perspectives"
These proposals aim to achieve the economic, social and environmental targets outlined by the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs Drawing upon the Strategy, the European Commission has decided to direct research towards the political objectives contained in it. Freedom for people, infrastructures, organisations, (...)
The European Commission has issued a communication on how to make the results from European Community-funded research available to all.
Although the document is not legally binding, it aims to end the current situation where European-funded research results (ie paid with public funds) are not necessarily made publicly available and may be accessible by subscribing to scientific publications.
In addition, open access to scientific evidence can accelerate innovation and avoid duplication of (...)
The biggest ever pan-European debate of all 25 EU Member States has been launched to find out what Europe’s citizens want from Europe and which issues matter to them most.
From January to April 2007, 25 national consultations take place at Member State level to discuss the overarching question “What is needed to achieve the Europe we want?”
The Final Consultation in May 2007 is held in Brussels as an intense debate with a small number of citizen volunteers from the national (...)
"Listen, communicate and go local" are the three themes of Margot Wallström, who presented on the 20 July 2005 the new European Commission Action plan for communication.
Against the backlash of the French and Dutch "no" to the Constitutional Treaty, the Commission vice-president of the EC is proposing 50 pragmatic actions aimed at improving its ability to communicate effectively to citizens (and voters).
Wallström plans a better use of the EC resources with:
a better coordination and (...)
In July 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication that is generally seen as a major step forward towards the recognition of children’s rights.
Entitled “Towards an EU strategy on the Rights of the Child” the communication proposes to establish a comprehensive EU strategy to effectively promote and safeguard the rights of the child in the EU’s internal and external policies and to support Member States efforts in this field. The stratgy takes a transversal and (...)
**The article has been updated with recent debates, plus the launch of the internet forum.** The European Commissioner Margot Wallström launched its Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate, on the 13 October 2005. It aims to lay the ground for a strong debate about European Union’s future.
Background to Plan D Against the backdrop of the French and Dutch No to the constitutional treaty and the impossible agreement on the budget in June 2005, Plan D aims to open up a debate built on a (...)
France and Belgium are being tackled by the European Commission (EC) for fixing of minimum retail prices for cigarettes. The EC decided in June 2006 to send these countries a reasoned opinion.
The Commission believes that such prices do not respect Community law, distort competition and benefit manufacturers only by safeguarding their profit margins.
In order to reduce tobacco consumption - a positive base step in boosting public health - the EC advocates increasing the excise duty on (...)
The use of ultraviolet-radiation devices, tanning lamps and sunbeds, to achieve and maintain cosmetic tanning, is likely to increase the risk of malignant melanoma (a serious type of skin cancer), according to an opinion of the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) to the European Commission.
The SCCP adopted their report entitled "Biological effects ofultraviolet radiation relevant to health with particular reference to sunbeds for cosmetic purposes" in June 2006.
The 43 page (...)
On 11 July 2006, EPHA attended a hearing of stakeholders concerned by certain questions addressed in the European Transparency Initiative. The hearing was organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), at the request of and in close cooperation with the European Commission (EC).
Participants included representatives of civil society organisations, consultancies, business sector lobby groups, law firms and think tanks, as well as the EC, the EESC and the office of the (...)
As of June 2006, Council of Minister meetings are to be televised, in a bid to increase the overall transparency, accountability and credibilty of the EU institutions.
The UK has withdrawn its opposition to the new transparency procedures at Council level, ending the European Union tradition of secretive, closed-door ministerial meetings.
EPHA welcomes the new move of the EU Council of Ministers to change their own practices, which is key both for the credibility of the EU Council, as well (...)
The European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) seeks scientific opinions on Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products.]
The Scientific Committees provide the Commission with the scientific advice it needs when preparing policy and proposals relating to consumer safety, public health and the environment. As one of these committees, SCENIHR’s mandate is to question emerging or newly-identified risks on broad, complex or (...)
The European Commission Directorate General on Research has set up a directory to collect data on ’who’s who’ in the area of science and society in Europe.
The aim is to produce an online database where potential project partners would be registered, in order to further improve the link between science and society.
Although the "who’s who" is not online yet, stakeholders that have an interest in research can contact DG Research to be added to the Directory.
This Directory (...)
The European Commission has launched the 2006 Call for proposals for projects to be funded through the EU public Health Programme. This follows the adoption of the 2006 Work plan which sets out the priorities for this year.
The deadline for submission of proposals is 19 May 2006.
A budget of € 43 million has been set aside for the call and projects shall not exceed three years.
An Information Day for potential project submitters covering the implementation of the Public Health Programme was (...)
The Anti-Discrimination Unit of the Directorate-General Employment and Social Affairs recently launced a new EU portal on ¨EU and Roma¨.
It aims to provide information about the different policies, programmes and initiatives of the EU to promote social inclusion and combat discrimination against the Roma community.
Projects addressing Roma discrimination and promoting their inclusion could receive EU funding under several programmes:
Anti-discrimination
Employment and social inclusion (...)
European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou launched on 2 February 2006, the multimedia “European Health Information Platform”, aimed to finance TV reports on health issues.
Managed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the project aims to create a network of public broadcasters and other media across Europe and to foster the exchange of television documentaries, radio broadcasts and press and internet articles on health issues.
It should be noted (...)
The adoption of the European Commission (EC) overall work programme for 2006 gave the direction in which the EU would move in 2006. Prosperity, security, better regulation, transparency and the EU budget are the leading themes for 2006. Austria and Finland holds the rotating presidency.
Overall objectives and commitments of the EU
Although the achievement of the Lisbon Agenda will lead EU policies in the next 12 months, it should be noted that the Austrian and Finnish presidencies have set (...)
*This article has been updated with information on the ECDC’s work programme for 2006.*
The EU’s new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was officially inaugurated in May 2005. Although the main bodies are now in place, the ECDC is not expected to address its full mandate before 2007.
Besides, in 2007, the European Commission (EC), the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of Ministers will review its mandate, which may cover non-communicable disease (such as for (...)
Recently, the European Commission published two calls for proposals in the area of Science and Society under the Sixth Framework Programme.
Science Shops
The objective of the call is to contribute to universities’ mission of sharing knowledge outside the academic sphere. It mainly targets local civil society, universities and organisations involved in the training of students.
The call requires the use of specific support actions (SSA) and coordination actions (CA). Participants should (...)
Following the commitment to improve citizens’ confidence, the European Commission Vice-President Günther Verheugen has decided to withdraw more than a third of the pending legislative proposals dated before the 1 January 2004.
The move is aimed to fight against the feeling that the European Union is a bureaucratic giant dealing with uncessary regulations. According to the European Commission, most of the proposals were either inconsistent with the Lisbon Strategy, or did not meet better (...)
The European Commission adopted its work programme for 2006, defining its priorities: preparing future enlargement, strengthening the Lisbon strategy, reinforcing prosperity, responding to security threats and bridging the "communication gap".
Entitled “unlocking Europe’s full potential”, the work programme of the European Commission mentions the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs as one of its key objectives for 2006.
Prosperity, solidarity, security, better regulation and (...)
The European Commission has issued a new initiative on improved safety for fireworks and air bags as part of its better regulation agenda.
The European Commission issued a new initiative on better regulation concerning the safety for fireworks and air bags on 14 October 2005.
The Commission proposal concerns the replacement of 25 parallel national approval procedures for fireworks and air bags by a single EU directive. This initiative is seen as an example of better regulation that may lead (...)
As part of its simplification and streamlining agenda the Commission has proposed simpler procedures for EU contracts and grants.
The European Commission launced a proposal for simplifying contracts and grants procedures on 12 October 2005.
The goal of the new proposal is, according to the Commission, to ’simplify significantly the administrative burden for companies, SMEs and beneficiaries of EU grants while maintaining a high level of protection of the community funds’. As part of this (...)
Saturday 19 March 2005 is the deadline for participating in an open consultation on the future of European development policy run by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Development (DG DEVE).
Organisations and individuals that wish to participate in the debate should fill in an on-line questionnaire.
A reference guiding the consultation is provided by an issues paper on EU development (...)
Policymakers around the world are increasing their planning activities to deal with a potential biological or chemical attack.
What to do in a chemical attack
The European Commission has issued practical guidance for the public about the what do to in the event of a chemical attack. The information is meant to help people understand how to prepare themselves and to make it easier for emergency services to act. The EU has said that this is part of their general approach to civil protection (...)
On 26 January 2004, the European Commission announced its strategic objectives for 2005-2009 period and its work programme for 2005.
Strategic Objectives 2005-2009
Strategic objectives are listed under four main headings:
Prosperity (economic growth, competitiveness, higher productivity, more jobs),
Solidarity (social justice, environmental protection, cohesion),
Security (Hague programme, fighting crime and terrorism, managing immigration, environmental and health risks),
Europe as (...)
On 15 December, the European Commission set up an executive agency to carry out tasks relating to the management of the Community programme in the field of public health (2003-2008).
A cost-benefit study carried out by the Commission showed that the executive agency would be a more economical mean of improving the effectiveness of the way in which the public health programme is implemented. This study has not been published so far.
The Commission wants to capitalise on the technical work (...)
The Council of Ministers agreed on a proposal for a Regulation to strengthen controls on the import of the chemicals that are used to manufacture illicit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in particular ecstasy, so-called drug precursors.
The existing legislation in this area, Regulation 3677/90, which the proposed Regulation would replace, must be modernised because in recent years the Community has become one of the world’s leading ecstasy manufacturers and exporters, using (...)
The new Barroso team of 25 began its five-year term of office on 22 November, three weeks later than originally planned. This ends the 5 week stand-off with the European Parliament.
On 27 October, President Barroso chose not to submit his team to a vote in the Plenary after two Commissioners were rejected by their respective Parliamentary Committees. Italian nominee Rocco Buttiglione was rejected by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Laszlo Kovacs, from (...)
The European Commission is undertaking a consultation to identify ’thematic domains’ for future European support under the 7th Framework Programme.
The European Commission is using the following three criteria in order to identify which thematic domains will be included in the proposal for the 7th Framework Programme.
Contribution to EU policy objectives
The research topic must generate new knowledge to meet societal needs and catalyse the delivery of a European policy objective(s), (...)
The first EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection David Byrne, has reviewed the achievements of his term in office, 1999-2004.
" Health and consumer protection policy is an area where citizens expect to see tangible benefits from the European Union. The safety of food and other products, protection of their health and their rights as consumers are topics that touch the every-day lives of citizens. I was acutely aware of this five years ago when I took up the post as the very (...)
"Public health continues to be a priority for EU citizens and stakeholders", announces DG SANCO as the results of a public consultation are compiled.
In July 2004, then Health Commissioner Byrne launched a reflection process and public debate on the vision for a health strategy for the EU. A Communication on Health Strategy is expected from the Commission by the end of 2005.
The reflection process generated a major debate across the EU and beyond involving countries as varied as the USA, (...)
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control launched in Stockholm in September 2004, is due to start work in May 2005.
The lauch was attended by senior Health Officials and Politicians from around Europe, North America and Asia and by EPHA Executive Committee member, Florence Bertelleti-Kemp.
Mr David Byrne, former Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, gave a speech in which he said "SARS in 2003 showed us that, in today’s world, a disease outbreak can spread (...)
Following the official launch of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on the 27 September the inaugural meeting of the ECDC’s Management Board was held on the 28 September.
At this meeting Dr. Marc Sprenger, Director-General of the National Institute for Health and Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands, was appointed as Chairman of the ECDC’s Management Board with Dr. Meni Malliori, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Athens and a former Member of the (...)
The current European Commission is set to be replaced by a new College of Commissioners on 1 November 2004. However, before the new executive of the EU can take up its five-year term of office, it has to be approved by the European Parliament.
On 22 July, MEPs approved the nomination of José Manuel Barroso as President of the next European Commission. Candidates for the remaining 24 Commissioner posts were then put forward (see related EPHA’s article) and in mid-August Mr Barroso (...)
Thursday 17 June
On Thursday 17 June, EU leaders met to decide who will be the next Commission President.
Bertie Ahern, Irish prime minister and current head of the EU, proposed Guy Verhofstadt (the current Prime Minister of Belgium and politically from the PPE group) also supported by the French and German governments. However his strong position against the war in Iraq and his clear refusal to mention God in the new Treaty resulted in opposition by UK, Italy and Poland.
Silvio Berlusconi (...)
The European Commission adopted on 3 May 2004 an "e-Health action plan" on health services and information delivered and exchanged through the internet and related technologies.
This plan covers everything from electronic prescriptions and computerised health records to using new systems and services to cut waiting times and reduce errors.
The action plan is the third element of the Commission’s objective of improving European co-operation on healthcare issues, which were announced last (...)
The European Commission has adopted guidelines (attached to this article) for improving the functioning of the EU’s Rapid Information System on dangerous consumer products (RAPEX).
The RAPEX system was recently strengthened by the coming into force on 15 January of the new revised General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) which introduced new obligations for businesses to alert the authorities to dangerous products.
The RAPEX guidelines clarify Member State authorities’ (...)
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) (...)
The European Commission has launched a response to the High Level Reflection Process on Patient Mobility aimed at clarifying health rights in Europe.
Although healthcare is a national responsibility according to the EU Treaty, there are a number of common challenges, such as the ageing society, increased needs and demands from citizens and rapid technological change. The Commission’s proposals include efforts to promote practical co-operation on the access to healthcare in another Member (...)
The EU Public Health Programme has three key strands of action: Health Information Systems (Strand 1), Rapid response to health threats (Strand 2) and Health determinants (Strand 3). As part of Strand 1, DG SANCO will create a number of working parties which are designed to advise on further development work in the specific field.
Working Parties that will be established
The working parties will run for the length of the EU Public Health Programme (2003-2008) and may involve sub-groups or (...)
The European Commission has launched the 2004 Call for proposals for projects to be funded through the EU public Health Programme. This follows the adoption on 25 February of the 2004 Work plan which sets out the priorities for this year.
The deadline for submission of proposals is 26 April 2004.
An Information Day for potential project submitters covering the implementation of the Public Health Programme was held on Monday 22 March 2004, 9h30-16h00 at the European Commission in (...)
The European Commission has started to publish a weekly alert notice on product safety issues across the EU.
On 15 January 2004 the revised General Product Safety Directive came into force. The European Commission generally receives two to four safety alerts from Member States every week through the EU-wide ’rapid alert system’, called RAPEX. The type of products most often cited in these alerts are toys followed by other products aimed at children. The concern for most of these products (...)
A Eurobarometer survey shows that a large majority of people want their government to make concessions to secure agreement on a European constitution. The Commission funded poll was organised on 23/24 January 2004 following the collapse of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC). The survey shows that 77% of people in the 25 countries are in favour of the EU adopting a Constitution, with 15% opposed to the idea. More than 60% of people expect that without a constitution the European (...)
A new Directive on rear-view mirrors and supplementary indirect vision systems for motor vehicles has been approved.
This will tackle the notorious problem of ’blind spots’, where vehicle drivers are often unaware of other road users very close to their vehicles.
Blind spots are blamed for many serious road accidents at crossings, junctions and roundabouts, especially those involving pedestrians, cyclists and drivers of smaller motorcycles.
The new directive is based on studies and (...)
The Commission has just published the Fourth annual report on progress towards the Libson Strategy. The report is addressed to the Spring Summits of the European Council which focuses on sustainable development
The report urges Member States to seize the opportunities provided by the economic recovery and by the coming enlargement. The Commission’s research shows that full implementation of the Lisbon process could increase GDP by 0.5-0.75 percentage points over the next 5 to 10 years.
The (...)
DG SANCO is launching a Taskforce on rare diseases in Luxembourg on 21 January 2004 to outline the results of the former EU Rare Diseases Programme and to assess the status of rare diseases in the EU Public Health Programme (2003 - 2008). The taskforce is an output of the Morbidity and Mortality Working Party convened by DG SANCO.
The Taskforce consists of experts from the WHO, EU Member States (existing and CEE accession countries), DG Research, EMEA and Eurostat. Additional members (...)
The new Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (SANCO) is Mr Robert Madelin, a UK national.
Mr Madelin’s previous position was a Director in DG Trade where he was responsible for managing the civil society dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders on EU positions in multilateral trade issues. He will take up his new role at SANCO in early 2004.
EPHA interviewed Mr Madelin in January 2003 on the inter-linkage between health and (...)
A workshop aimed at members of the research community who are beginning to develop a proposal for an EU funded Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) project will be held in Cambridge, UK, on 20 January 2004.
The event will build upon the results of the first calls for proposals, and address the lessons to be learnt for bidding in 2004. For example, what is the right size for an Integrated Project?
Unsuccessful proposals are sometimes the result of a poor choice of subject or consortium structure. (...)
The European Commission has published a list of research projects on occupational health and related issues, which were funded under the 5th Framework Research Programme.
Many of the projects cover the environment and health causes for diseases such as cancer. The projects are funded under the ’Quality of life’ budget line. You can find the documents here.
The European Commission adopted on 23 September a communication in which it supports World Health Organisation’s (WHO) major overhaul of its International Health Regulations (IHR).
The Commission calls for the EU to play a central role in WHO negotiations to reinforce international rules on the control of infectious diseases and other health threats.
Commission’s press (...)
Last Wednesday 3rd September, the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasburg, dedicated one of its debates to the Convention for the Future of Europe.
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (Chairman of the Convention), Romano Prodi (European Commission President) and the Italian Presidency, represented by Gianfranco Fini (Deputy Prime Minister) and Franco Frattini (Foreign Minister) dialogued with the MEPs about the Convention and the IGC.
Warning against changes to the 16-month work of the (...)
On 1 September 2003, Science & Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin presented the Europe-Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) to 46 African Health ministers at the WHO conference in Johannesburg.
This 600 million euro programme was launched in 2002, bringing together the EU Member States (plus Norway), developing countries, the private sector and international foundations.
It aims to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis by facilitating and accelerating clinical (...)
The European Commission has adopted four Decisions fixing the EU financial contribution for the costs of precautionary measures taken by four Member States to avoid the introduction and spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on their territory during the epidemic of 2001.
These cover the costs for the slaughter and destruction of animals and for the destruction of milk and feedingstuffs and the costs for cleaning and desinfecting holdings.
The indicative EU contribution (60% of total (...)
The ECJ has annuled the Commission decision to withdraw national marketing authorisations of medicinal products for human use which contain, inter alia, certain amphetamine-like anorectic agents used in anti-obesity drugs.
The Commission opinions, dated 1999, were based on the opinion by the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) which had found that those substances lacked efficacy according to the new scientific criterion of long-term efficacy of anti-obesity drugs.
The (...)
After an initial week delay, last 9 July the Commission agreed on guidelines that will allow the funding of research involving the use of embryonic stem cells left over from, or extracted but not suitable, for fertility treatment.
The decision is likely to cause consternation in the European Parliament, which voted in April to ban the practice. This blanket ban however was not accepted by member states who asked the Commission to simply regulate its funding of such projects.
Under the (...)
First Meeting of the Network of Competent Authorities: Health Information and Knowledge Strand Community Action Programme on Public Health, Luxembourg, 10 July 2003 (10.00 - 17.00).
For more information, please contact the European Commission, Filomena Lopo.
Monday 24th March was World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. The global impact of TB is devastating, especially in developing countries where poverty and the prevalence of HIV lower resistance and encourage further transmission. Tuberculosis causes about 2 million deaths a year, about 98% in developing countries. The EU has channelled 28 million euro into TB drug and vaccine research in the last four years, within the 5th EU research framework programme, and will be committing significantly more (...)
On 18-20 March a Health Indicators Project Coordinators Meeting took part in Luxembourg. This was a follow up of the Community Health Monitoring Programme and preparation for the implementation of the first strand of the Community new Public Health Programme. The main objective of the meeting was to obtain recommendations from the assembled specialists in this field about what should constitute a set of core Community health monitoring indicators, possible sources of comparable data. It (...)
The long awaited Call for proposals for the Public Health Programme has published. Commissioner David Byrne launched the EUR 312 million action programme in the European Parliament. Between 2003 and 2008 the programme will spend over 312 million Euro on actions to protect and improve the health of Europe’s citizens. Commissioner Byrne said the launch marked "the EU shifting up a gear in its health policy". The three key priorities of the programme are: improving health information and (...)
The new Directorate General for Employment and Social Affairs thematic websites on EUROPA, as well as a completely new Employment Strategy website, were put online after six months of planning and development.
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.
In January’s electronic issue of Consumer Voice, the newsletter published by DG SANCO, Commissioner Byrne’s vision for a ’Europe of health’ focuses on:
the creation of the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control,
tobacco control measures,
patient mobility, and
bioterrorism
(as well as getting the tenders for the new public health programme launched).
On 21 January, Margot Wallström, Environment Commissioner, Günther Verheugen, Enlargement Commissioner and Vasso Papandreou, Greek Environment Minister met environment ministers from the 13 candidate countries to discuss the implementation challenges of the 149 EU environmental laws.
According to the Commission, 80% of transposition of the environmental acquis has been completed. Candidate countries must now make efforts to implement this acquis within the deadlines agreed for the (...)
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 (...)
The European Commission DG SANCO has opened public consultation on EFSA opinion about genetically modified soybean for food and feed uses, on 10 August 2007.
The public has the opportunity to make comments on the EFSA opinion during a month from the day of the publication of the EFSA opinion (10 August 2007). The comments should be addressed to the European Commission by an on-line form.
Important information:
EFSA opinion
Form to make comments
A2704-12 Soybean
Deadline:10 September 2007 (...)
The European Commission, DG Sport, published a new White Paper on Sport on 11 July 2007, with the objective of giving strategic orientation on the role of sport in Europe.
The White Paper on Sport is focused on the societal role of sport which comprises the enhancement of public health through physical activity but also, the economic dimension and organisations in Europe, and the subsequent follow-up of the measures taken.
The White Paper is the result of extensive consultations over (...)
The European Commission launched on 30 May 2007 a White paper on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related health issues.
Updated with the reactions from stakeholders.
In this document the European Commission has shown its awareness about the alarming situation of overweight and obesity in Europe and its consequences on health. However the measures proposed are not in line with the seriousness of the situation.
The European Commission states that some of the measures should be the revision (...)
Find here the reports, minutes and related documents from the April plenary meeting of the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.
Just a couple of months ago, in August 2006, the European Commission found that a total of €161.9 million of EU farm money was misspent by Member States and must be reimbursed.
Now in October 2006 it appears that the Commission has decided to recover a much larger figure of money. The revised total of €317.3 million is almost twice the original sum.
Similar to the August fiasco, the money will be recovered because of inadequate control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on (...)
EU governments have agreed to publish the names of all recipients of the Union’s farm subsidies and how much they receive from 2009 at the latest, subject to final agreement with the European Parliament.
Such disclosure should lead to better transparency over the end beneficiaries of all EU funds, including the Union’s annual €60 billion spending on farm subsidies. This is in line with the recent debates over the European Transparency Initiative and transparency of the European Council. (...)
On 19 September 2006, the members of the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health met for the eighth plenary meeting.
Robert Madelin, Director General of the European Commission’s DG SANCO, chaired and opened the plenary meeting of the Platform.
EPHA’s Lara Garrido Herrero and Eimear O’Loughlin both attended the morning session, while Eimear attended the afternoon session.
A full report of this meeting is available below.
The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and (...)
The European Commission has adopted proposals, which aim to clarify and update the current legislation in food enzymes, food additives and flavours and bring the rules into line with the latest scientific developments.
In addition, the proposal creates a simplified common approval procedure for food additives, flavourings and enzymes, which would include safety evaluations from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
It aims to establish a positive list of allowed food additives and to (...)
On 4 July 2006 the members of the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, including EPHA, met for their seventh meeting. Robert Madelin, Director General of the European Commission’s DG SANCO, chaired and opened the plenary meeting of the Platform.
EU-US Conference Discussion
Debate arose following a debriefing on the EU-US conference on good practices held in May, which EPHA attended. Issues raised included lack of evidence for the effects of “education programmes” (...)
EPHA attended a two-day EU/US transatlantic conference "Good practices: Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health", hosted by the European Commission in the framework of the European Platform for Action on the same topic.
The meeting was chaired jointly by Robert Madelin, Director-General, DG Consumer Health and Protection (SANCO) within the European Commission and Van Hubbard, US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
Debra Platt Majoras, Chairman of the US Federal Trade (...)
The Directive on Infant Formulae is now published.
According to IBFAN, the main shortcomings of the Directive are related to the marketing of infant formulae and follow-on formulae. Under the new Directive, the European Commission has the power to adopt legislation on specialized foods (including baby foods) without having to consult the EU Parliament. The framework might be harmful as health can be undermined by marketing practices without the direct consultations with the EU Parliament. (...)
A preparatory meeting to lauch the "Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health" was organised on the 15 February by DG Sanco.
This meeting included the members of the Obesity Round Table plus around 20 suggested additional participants and responsibles for health issues of the Permanent Representations of the EU Member States to the EU (involved in the preparation of Health Council meetings).
Amongst these suggested additional participants was EPHA.
DG Sanco’s report to the (...)
On the 21 January 2005, DG SANCO’s Obesity Round Table met for the fourth time and confirmed the launch of a Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, foreseen in March 2005.
The Obesity Round Table is chaired by DG SANCO Director General Robert Madelin, and previous meetings were held in July, October and December 2004.
The meeting of 21 January focused mainly on the preparation of a document which will be the bases for a "Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health".
DG Sanco (...)
The third meeting of DG SANCO’s Obesity Round Table was held on 14 December 2004 under the chairmanship of Robert Madelin, Director General for Health and Consumer Protection.
The aim of the meeting was to discuss the Commission’s draft paper "Nutrition and Health - a European Platform for Action". This paper proposes to create a Platform which would look at Nutrition and Health issues and would include all interested stakeholders.
According to the Commission, the proposed Platform would (...)
The second meeting of DG SANCO’s Roundtable on obesity was held on 29 October 2004 and focused on sharing best practice on food labelling, marketing and product development.
Chaired by SANCO Director Robert Madelin, the meeting was a follow-up to the first Roundtable meeting on obesity organised in July 2004. Participants included NGOs, the WHO, food industry and consumer groups. The first meeting outlined the areas for discussion as regulation, data, communication and information, food (...)
On Wednesday 8th September the Commission met to discuss a proposal that establishes labelling thresholds below which adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of traces of authorised genetically modified seeds in conventional seed lots would not have to be labelled.
The threshold of the initial proposal was 0.5%.
However no agreement was found, as some Member States decided that there wasn’t enough scientific evidence. This Commission will not look further into it and new evidence (...)
DG SANCO has established a new Advisory Group on the food chain. The new group will bring together key stakeholders including farmers, the food industry, retailers, consumer organisations and others to advise the European Commission on food safety policy. It will meet at least twice a year and consist of up to 45 members from EU-level associations. Reflecting the Commission’s "farm to fork" approach to food safety, the group will be consulted on matters ranging from policy on pesticides (...)
On 20 July 2004, the Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection (DG Sanco) of the Euroepan Commission organised the first meeting of the Obesity Round Table, with the aim of providing a forum for open and informal discussions on approaches to tackle the obesity epidemic.
In his introductory statement, Robert Madelin, Director General and Chairman of the Round Table, underlined that obesity is to be considered as a core health issue and, as such, it will be a high priority for the (...)
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 (...)
The Commission will adopt a proposal to authorise import and processing of a type of GMO maize (NK603).
All GM seed varieties have to be approved and authorised in the EU for cultivation under Directive 2001/18 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms or under the Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed.
Authorisation is only granted after a positive scientific assessment has concluded that no unacceptable risks to the environment (...)
On 17 November the Commission proposed a new regulation establishing harmonised rules on the voluntary addition of vitamins, minerals and other substances (including herbal extracts) to food products in the EU.
Foods are generally "fortified" with nutrients (vitamins and minerals) to replace some of the nutritional value lost during their processing or storage, or to enhance the nutritional value of food products by adding nutrients that are not normally contained in that food item. (...)
Upper Austria to appeal against Commission rejection of GMO ban
The regional parliament of Upper Austria announced on 4 November 2003 that it is to appeal against the European Commission’s decision not to allow the region to declare itself a genetically modified organism (GMO) free zone.
The Commission rejected the request by Upper Austria on 2 September 2003 following consultations with the European Food Safety Authority.
The reasons given for its decision were, first, that no new (...)
On 9 October, Commissioner David Byrne gave a speech at the European Parliament Intergroup on Commercial Communications.
At the end of his speech, he mentioned the proposal for a Regulation on the use of health and nutrition claims on foods, adopted by the Commission in July.
Commissioner Byrne said that the proposal on health claims was necessary when "bringing forward a general proposal on unfair commercial practices".
He made clear that the aim of the proposal was to eliminate "not (...)
During the Agriculture Council on 29 September, Commissioner Fischler presented the Commission recommendation on guidelines concerning the co-existence of GMOs with conventional and organic farming.
Fischler said that many of the factors that determined the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of co-existence measures were specific to national and regional characteristics and farming practices.
Commission’s press release.
Conclusions of the Agriculture Council.
Commission’s (...)
The EU’s Standing Committee on Seeds discussed last 22 September the Commission’s proposal on labelling and traceability of GMOs in conventional seeds.
This proposal amends various directives on seeds by adding conditions and requirements concerning the accidental presence of genetically modified organisms in conventional seeds.
The directive will also spell out specific labelling rules, establishing a threshold of 0.3 per cent to 0.7 per cent for GMOs in seeds, depending on the species, (...)
On 22 September, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, David Byrne, gave a speech on "Food safety and third countries".
Commissioner Byrne’s speech at the Informal Agriculture Council in Taormina.
The European Commission decided on 2nd September to turn down GMO-free zones as it rejected a request from the Upper Austrian regional Government to ban the use of genetically engineered seeds.
The Austrians (supported by Wales and a few local authorities in the west of England) had asked permission from Brussels to introduce a three-year long ban on GMO-seeds as the coexistence between GM and non-GM methods of agricultural production are not fully resolved.
The Commission then consulted (...)
Argentina, Canada and the U.S. requested last 18th August the establishment of a WTO Panel on the EU’s approach to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
David Byrne, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection stated: "Only a month ago we updated our regulatory system on GMOs in line with the latest scientific and international developments. Clear labelling and traceability rules are essential to help restore consumer confidence in GMO’s in Europe."
David Byrne recalled that it is (...)
Member states will be able to regulate their cultivation of genetically modified crops under rules agreed by EU agricultural ministers on 23 July.
The same day, the Commission confirmed this decentralised approach by publishing guidelines - which are not legally binding - setting out "general principles" of how to manage GM crops safely.
Commission press release.
Last 15 of July, the Commission decided to take Court action against eleven Member States for failing to adopt and notify national legislation implementing an EU law on the deliberate release of Genetically Modified Organisms into the Environment.
Commission press release.
Last Wednesday 16 July the Commission adopted a proposal that could spell the beginning of the end for well-known advertising slogans and claims used by food and pharmaceutical companies across the EU.
The proposal harmonises rules concerning vague or misleading claims used by advertisers in the food industry.
As well, this proposal outlines a greater degree of precision in the labelling and marketing of foods and health products.
EURO COOP, the European Community of Consumer Cooperatives, (...)
The European Food Safety Authority has issued a document which rules out plans to set up GM free zones in different parts of Europe.
The Commission asked for the EFSA scientific opinion after some EU regions, such as Upper Austria, Wales and a few local authorities in the west of England, showed interest in excluding GM crops from their reion and wanted to be declared GMO free zones.
EFSA (...)
Last 8th July, David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, gave a speech on "Food for thought - nutrition and public health policy" at the Children and nutrition Congress, Berlin.
Full speech
After 3 weeks of delays, on 26 June, EU farm ministers adopted a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The key elements of the new, reformed CAP in a nutshell:
a single farm payment for EU farmers, independent from production; limited coupled elements may be maintained to avoid abandonment of production,
this payment will be linked to the respect of environmental, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards, as well as the requirement to keep all farmland (...)
Scientists, farmers and policymakers convened at the invitation of Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler and his research counterpart Philippe Busquin for a ’round table’ on coexistence - how to manage the production of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops on the same farm or between neighbouring farms on May 2003.
The talks focused on two kinds of GM crops - maize and oilseed rape - that are candidates to be planted across Europe if a de facto moratorium on introducing (...)
Please find below the draft agenda for the first meeitng of the Community Action Programme on Public Health Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA) network, to be held on 30 June - 1 July 2003.
For more information, please contact the European Commission, Filomena Lopo.
The EU Commission is preparing to take legal action over poor implementation of environmental laws on genetically modified organisms (GMO). It has taken the second step in the procedure to force 12 Member States to comply with EU laws covering the release of GMOs into the environment.
More information on Europa server
On 5 March, the Scientific Committee on Food rejected the removal of the upper food irradiation limit due to insufficient scientific evidence regarding the safety of high dose irradiated foods. The Scientific Committee expressed its initial findings ahead of the delivery of its full opinion in April. In 1997 a WHO Study Group had stated that there was no scientific basis for limiting absorbed doses to the upper level of 10 kGy as currently recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. (...)
The latest Eurobarometer survey carried out in all candidate countries reveals that 88 % of those polled wanted the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to provide ’safe and healthy food’ as well as improving rural life. This mirrors the survey published in 2002 of citizen concerns from EU countries, where almost 90% stated that healthy food should be the main goal of CAP. The survey revealed that many people felt uninformed about the CAP and how it worked, but that there was general support (...)
The Commission proposed on the 22 January the new reforms to its contentious CAP, characterised by the single payments based on the size of their farm - not their production levels.
Subsidies will also be linked to farms meeting standards for food safety, environmental protection and animal welfare. Direct payments to big farms will be gradually scaled down from 2007, with the aim of freeing up more money for rural development in the EU’s poorest farming regions.
Cuts will also be made in (...)
The EU has cut the allowed levels of Canthaxanthin, a pigment used to colour the feed of farmed salmon and chickens following an EU scientific committee which established a link between the colorant and retinal problems in 1997. The pigment gives farmed salmon a more pinkish colour and makes egg yokes more golden. Under the new EU rule, the maximum levels of the colourant will be cut by at least two thirds. This Directive was agreed recently by the Member States in a vote in the Standing (...)
On 25 and 26 June 2007, the European Commission (EC), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies held a seminar on ’Health in all policies’ for the countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
The seminar underlined that population health is not merely a product of health sector activities but to a large extent is determined by living conditions and other societal and economic factors. At the same time good health is a (...)
DG Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission published, on 27 June 2007, a new information brochure entitled "Healthier together in the European Union".
This 28 pages booklet includes information on health-related topics such as nutrition, alcohol, tobacco, HIV/AIDS, blood donation and organ transplant.
The brochure aims to help people make healthier lifestyle choices. But it also explains which actions the EU and Member State are taking in this area with information on (...)
A publication by the International Labour Office (ILO) entitled “Working Time and Workers’ Preferences in Industrialised Countries: Finding the Balance” has shown that European workers are far less likely to work in excess of 50 hours a week than their counterparts in other industrialised countries.
During the late 1990’s people working in excess of 50 hours a week in the US and Australia increased from 15% to 20% of the workforce. In Japan the figure was 28.1%.
By (...)
**Latest Update 21/01/2008.** It aims to focus on developments at international level.
Animal Avian Influenza is now in Europe - Increase of HUMAN cases in Indonesia
Poultry in Turkey and Romania have been hit by cases of Avian Influenza. Croatia also confirms a case of H5N1 in wild birds. Hence the decision from the European Commission to suspend imports of birds, feathers, poultry meat and avian species from Romania and Turkey. Both countries have quarantined the affected zones and (...)
*UPDATED with European Parliament response*.
On 30 January, 2007, the European Commission issued a public consultation on freeing Europe from environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Background
Environmental tobacco smoke is also known as "second-hand smoke" or "passive smoking" and is a known cause of illness and death in the European Union.
The promotion of smoke-free places within Europe began with concern for health and safety at work and has now progressed to country-wide bans on smoking in (...)
The European Commission, DG SANCO, has launched a new sunscreen labelling regime, composed of four pictograms and a UVA logo, to inform consumers of the dangers linked to sun exposure. The presentation took place on 9 July 2007 in Brussels, Belgium.
The information initiative responds to an EU Commission recommendation on sunscreen products adopted in September 2006 and provides consumers with new clearer labelling that will be visible on the market in summer 2007.
Furthermore, the EU (...)
European Commission Vice President Franco Frattini, responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security launched on 4 June 2007 the “European Forum on the Rights of Child” created to look to the future, in cooperation with the German presidency of the European Union.
The EU Strategy to promote and safeguard the rights of the child which was issued in 2006 by the European Commission, proposed the establishment of a permanent “European Forum on the Rights of the Child".
The (...)
*UPDATED with the Council conclusions*. The European Commission has unveiled the Community Strategy for health and safety at work 2007-2012 which aims to achieve a 25% overall reduction of occupational accidents and diseases in the EU.
The new strategy builds upon the evaluation of the previous Community strategy on health and safety at work 2002-2006 and on European legislations on the matter. It is worth noting that the European Union has legislative competence on health and safety at (...)
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 (...)
*UPDATED with the adoption of the resolution on EU Alcohol Strategy* voted in the European Parliament plenary on 4 September 2007.The adoption of the EU strategy is to support member states in reducing alcohol related harm.
The main themes
While the paper makes clear that the European Commission do not intend to develop EU legislation in the field of the prevention of alcohol related harm, the European Commission has identified the following five priorities:
to protect young people and (...)
The European Commission has launched in June 2006 a consultation on how to organise a constructive dialogue with civil society organisations (CSOs) active in the drug field. The “Green Paper on the role of Civil Society in Drugs Policy in the European Union” seeks to ensure that their knowledge and expertise is taken into account in the EU policy-making process, in particular in the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2005-2008 and the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-20122. (...)
The adoption of the regulation on medicinal products for paediatric use took place in October 2006.
On 29 September 2004 the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on medicinal products for paediatric use.
More than 50% of the medicines used to treat children have not been tested and authorised for use in children. This means a doctor writing a prescription for a child for an untested, unauthorised product, cannot be sure the medicine will be truly effective, what dose is (...)
A new report published by the European Commission provides a detailed description of the projections on age-related expenditure covering pensions, health care, long-term care, education and unemployment transfers for EU25 Member States for the period 2004 to 2050.
The projections, prepared by the EC Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs and the EPC Working Group on Ageing Populations on the basis of commonly agreed assumptions, describe in detail the potential economic (...)
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 (...)
In order to prepare the European Community against health emergencies, the European Commission published a communication and technical guidance on "generic preparedness planning for public health emergencies".
Against the backdrop of SARS, or potential terrorist attacks using biological agents and the threat of pandemic influenza, the need to have a comprehensive and streamlined health emergency preparedness plan has become essential. Following recommendations from the Council in May and (...)
**This article has been updated with the position of the European Parliament and the European Council** On 7 September 2005 the European Parliament (EP) voted on the the proposed directive on ’Health and safety at work: exposure of workers to optical radiations’, also referred to as the ’sunlight directive’.
The background for the proposed directive is the goal of improving health and safety at work. The directive in question is one of four directives on protecting workers from (...)
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in several, simultaneous epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness.
Many experts are presenting evidence that supports that the world is now closer to a flu pandemic than it has been at any time since 1968.
Even if the cause of the next pandemic and the potential magnitude are still uncertain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated (...)
The link between animal viruses and human health is under the spotlight. Diseases like SARS, HIV and Avian flu probably originated in animals and evolved to humans. A new flu pandemic, which many experts believe is inevitable, combined with an animal virus could have a devastating impact across the world.
Scientific experts at a British Royal Society conference in London in January 2004 said there was a growing risk that more viruses will jump the species barrier and infect humans. (...)
The Health Ministers of the 25 European Union member states met in Paris on the 13-14 April 2005 to discuss “Health in Europe”. The main decisions aimed at reinforcing a common response to health threats.
Philippe Douste-Blazy, the French health minister, concluded the meeting by calling his colleagues to strenghten European health policies, stating that “a 25-nation Europe will be stronger to build a Europe that discovers novel therapies, a Europe that shares best (...)
The proposal for a European-wide driving license was rejected by a minority of national governments in the Transport Council’s meeting in June 2005.
Transport ministers could not agree on a pan-European license to replace the existing 110 types of licenses that can be found around Europe. Germany, France, Denmark, Austria and Poland created a blocking minority.
They all objcted to the parts of the proposal which would require drivers handing in their current licenses. This objection was (...)
The European Commission’s DG Justice and Home Affairs, has an open call for proposals under the framework of Daphne II - the EU Programme to combat violence against women, young people and children.
The deadline for submission is 1 April 2005 for projects aiming at the dissemination and the use of results fomr existing and prior projects.
The Daphne II programme runs from 2004 until 2008 with a budget of EUR 50 million. Its objectives are to support organisations that develop measures (...)
On 17 February 2005, the European Commission adopted a new Drugs Action Plan for the period 2005-2008. Its aims to significantly reduce the high levels of drug use, drug trafficking and the damage caused to EU societies through drug related crime, health problems and social exclusion.
The Action Plan transposes the general objectives contained in the EU Drugs Strategy (2005-2012) into concrete actions.
These include general policy measures, specific programmes aimed at the prevention of (...)
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 (...)
The European Commission hosted a conference to review the successes of a network of Science Shops and explored opportunities to enlarge the network of partners.
The EPHA Secretariat attended the meeting organised by the DG Research together with representatives from NGO’s, Universities and existing Science Shops from throughout Europe.
Science shops are organisations created as mediators between citizen groups (trade unions, pressure groups, non-profit organisations, social groups, (...)
A study commissioned by DG Employment and Social Affairs suggests that ageing populations may lead to an increase in income inequality and poverty in the EU. The report entitled ’Unequal Welfare States. Distributive Consequences of Population Ageing in six European Countries’ says that member states can limit the impact by hitting the Lisbon Agenda’s employment targets.
The report looked at ageing’s potential impact in six European countries (Netherlands, Germany, France, (...)
A paper adopted by the European Commission on 8 September 2004 has warned of a potential HIV/AIDS epidemic in Europe and called for the EU to show strong leadership in tackling the problem (see pdf document below).
In certain countries that joined the EU on 1 May and in the EU’s eastern neighbours the rates of new infections are the highest in the world, whilst the number of newly reported cases in Western Europe has doubled since 1995.
The paper calls for a coordinated and integrated (...)
The European Commission’s Group of experts on accidents in the transport sector held its first plenary session on 14 July 2004.
The group, which will advise the Commission on its transport safety strategy, was created in June 2003 and has 12 appointed members, out of 100 candidates from across Europe.
During the first plenary session, the group has given itself a mandate defining the aspects falling into its remit. It has set up five working groups to cover the four sectors of transport (...)
In February 2004 the European Commission released a report on the how the Framework Directive of 1989 and 5 individual Directives on health and safety have been transposed into national law and applied.
The goal of health and safety legislation is to provide a minimum standard level playing field for companies and increase protection for workers. The report notes a structural change has taken place. Health and safety measures at the workplace are reported to have widely contributed towards (...)
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 (...)
A new Commission report Gender issues in safety and health - A review examines gender differences in workplace injury and illness, gaps in knowledge and the implications for improving risk prevention.
The report by the EU Agency for Safety and Health at Work shows how the design of work, its organisation and equipment are often based on the model of the ’average’ man, although the principle of matching work to workers is enshrined in EU legislation. In general it can be said that (...)
The High Reflection Process examining the issue of patient mobility releases its final report and recommendations
The High Reflection Process, much criticised for its lack of transparency, released its report about the consequences of patients seeking treatment in other Member States (MS).
For the benefit of our members EPHA produced a briefing paper in October 2003, which provided a simplified overview of the process thus far.
In response to this final report, EPHA has produced a (...)
The high level reflection proces on patient mobility has ended with the publication on 8 December 2003 of the final report which includes a series of recommendations.
In June 2002 the Commission was asked by Member States (MS) to facilitate a reflection process on patient mobility; EPHA has been tracking this process on behalf of our members.
What is patient mobility? The European Union was and remains primarily an economic union, to facilitate the free movement of goods and services. (...)
On 20 September, the Commission issued a call for tender for the study of the relationship between quality in work and health outcomes.
The time-limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 52 days from date of publication of the notice.
To read the call for tender, click here.
More information on research possibilities related to occupational safety and health in the (...)
The 15th edition of the European Commission’s Employment in Europe report, published in early October 2003, presents a panorama of recent developments in European labour markets. This is the report integrate accesscion countries into the analysis. The report highlights the EU’s commitment to increase the number of older people in work to 50 %(the Stockholm target) and to raise the age at which people retire by 5 years (the Barcelona target). Statistics in 2001 show that the average (...)
The European Commission proposed on 23 September a sustainable agricultural model for Europe’s tobacco sectors, which implies that the EU will maintain the subsidies to tobacco farmers. Please click here to get the press release.
The special focus of this year’s European Social Situation Report is the social dimension of health, including comparative indicators for the new Member States and candidate countries. Health care and long-term care systems in the EU are striving to ensure equal access for all levels of income and wealth, high quality care, and the financial sustainability of care systems.
Health care systems, however, face new challenges, resulting from developments in technologies and therapies (...)
The European Commission proposed last 8th September that packets should not only carry textual health warnings such as - "Smoking may reduce the blood flow and causes impotence", but that packets should also carry images to discourage smokers.
As of the end of this month (30 September), cigarette packets sold in the EU are to include health warnings in the form of large black on white text, covering at least 30% of the front of the cigarette pack and at least 40% of the back.
Health (...)
The European Commission has withdrawn its interim measures decision adopted on 3 July 2001 against IMS Health (IMS), the world leader in data collection on pharmaceutical sales and prescriptions.
A judgment from the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, while recognising that IMS Health’s 1860 brick structure was protected by national copyright, now allows NDC Health (NDC) to market a brick structure which meets customers’ needs.
Therefore the Commission decided that there is no longer an (...)
The European Commision has released the results of research into the health risks and impact of tattoos and body piercing. Problems include the fact that many inks used in tattoos derive from car paint or writing inks and there is no data on safe use on skin. When health standards are disregarded, these practices can bring about viral infections such as hepatitis, HIV; bacterial and fungal infections; allergic reactions such as skin irritation and urticaria; malignant lesions such as (...)
The Commission has adopted a proposal which aims to improve, simplify and make more visible the EU’s work in co-ordinating Member States’ social protection policies - pensions, social inclusion and combating poverty, healthcare and care for the elderly, social security systems and how they encourage people to work (’making work pay’).
The document highlights the increasing inter-relationship of healthcare systems of EU Member States and the need to address the European dimension of social (...)
A Eurobarometer Survey published by the European Commission in April 2003 indicates that almost a quarter of those questioned reported mental health problems, that practical help was difficult to obtain and there is often little or limited social support for sufferers. The highest proportion of mental health problems were identified in Italy and Portugal (with strong differences between sexes, higher rates noted amongst women) and the lowest figures in Finland and Sweden. Occurrence scores (...)
Alcoholic Beverages and the Revision of the Television Without Frontiers Directive
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 (...)
Please find below the draft agenda for the Meeting of the Working Group on "Alcohol and Health" on 11 and 12 June 2003 in Luxembourg.
Joint meeting with representatives of interest groups (alcohol industry, advertisers and NGOs).
For more information, please contact the European Commission, Filomena Lopo.
Following a Conference on the modernisation of social protection systems in the candidate countries in December 2002, the European Commission has released on its website the full 13 reports on the situation per country.
While EU-15 Member State drug consumption has stayed relatively stable, consumption of illicit drugs has seen a sharp increase in the countries now joining the Union. These are the findings of a report issued by the EU’s drugs agency, EMCDDA.
The agency notes that drug use has increasingly come to be seen as a leisure activity in these countries and the consumption levels have risen steadily in line with alcohol and tobacco use. Of particular concern is drugs in youth culture and the (...)
Health professionals, such as doctors and pharmacists, are still by far the most important source of health information for Europeans and the traditional media - television, newpapers, magazines - still outperform the internet.
A Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission showed that medical and health organisations achieve the highest trust rating on health issues (84%), while businesses and political parties receive the lowest (16% and 11% respectively).
Across the EU, (...)
Women and men should be put on an equal pay footing for pensions and health security, under plans currently being drawn up in Brussels. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the Commission is considering proposing a regulation in June which will put an end to discrimination against wo