environment

EPHA service

7th EAP- General Action Programme - THE 7TH ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME (EAP) (updated on 18 March 2013) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – EP report - EU-wide plan to tackle the proliferation of AMR (updated on 22 March 2013) CAP reform – new regulations - Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) revision for 2014-2020 (updated on 5 April 2013) Car noise pollution - new EU regulation - sound level of motor vehicles (updated on 7 February 2013) Child poverty and well being - Council (...)

Campaign Aiming at Collecting 1 Million Signatures for water and sanitation - Next steps

On October 24, and within the framework of the European Federation of Public Service Unions-led "Water is a human right!" campaign, EPHA participated in this initiative’s coordinators meeting. What is a European Citizens’ initiative (ECI)? The European citizens’ initiative is a new legal tool which allows one million EU citizens to participate directly and in a legally binding manner in the development of special (for example, public health) EU policies. What does it (...)

EU follow up on Rio + 20 calls for progress on the beyond GDP agenda

The European Parliament’s Environment Council adopted its Conclusions on Rio+20, “Outcome and follow-up”, on 25 October 2012. Furthermore, EPHA welcomes the commitment from the Council of Ministers to move forward with the “Beyond GDP Agenda” and the recognition of health towards achieving sustainable development.

Health as a key to sustainable development - EPHA open letter

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

European Parliament Public Health Committee votes on Serious Health Threats proposal

On Wednesday 10 October 2012 the European Parliament’s Committee for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) voted to adopt the draft report prepared by MEP Gilles Pargneaux (S&D, France) on serious cross border threats to health. The report makes a number of amendments to the European Commission’s proposal for a Decision of the Parliament and the Council, but broadly supports the Commission’s aims and objectives. The Commission proposal seeks to extend (...)

Active and Healthy Ageing: A Challenge for the EU to Create Age-Friendly Environments

EPHA participated in a workshop dedicated to Active and Healthy Ageing which took place in the European Parliament on 8 October 2012. The event’s speakers highlighted the importance of building the right physical environment, social factors and the health literacy in respect of having a healthy and active old age. The hosting MEP, Ms. Katika Tamara LIOTARD (NL-GUE/NGL), highlighted the need to see the issue of healthy ageing as a policy issue, stressing the European year for Active (...)

The neglected health dimension of climate change in the UK

According to a recent report published by the British Health Protection Agency (HPA), the health risks from climate change in the UK may have serious public health impacts in the country. "Every century has its own public health challenges - climate change is our century’s challenge," said Dr Margaret Chan, Director General WHO “There is no doubt that climate change poses a wide range of challenges to public health in the UK ... from increased risks of heatwaves through to (...)

Workshop on pharmaceutical products and their impact on the environment from a public health perspective

On 19 September 2012, BIO IS (Intelligent Service) organised a technical workshop (attended by EPHA) on the legislative and non-legislative factors influencing the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment. According to two recent pieces of legislation (Directive 2010/84/EU and (Regulation 1235/2010/EU) on the applicable rules on pharmaceuticals, the pollution of waters and soils with pharmaceutical residues is not only an emerging environmental problem - it may also have a significant (...)

HEAL workshop on Chronic Diseases and Endocrine Disruptors - Brussels, Sept. 14

On 14 September 2012 (the day after the Health & Environment Alliance’s (HEAL) Annual General Assembly (AGA), a special workshop was organised in Brussels to highlight the growing body of science and tools related to endocrine disruptors (EDCs) and chronic diseases. It also stressed the important contribution that health groups are making in this critical area of human health. Chronic Diseases and endocrine disruptors (EDCs) Objectives of the workshop were: To facilitate (...)

What can be done to reduce health impacts from air pollution?

Last September 13, and on the margins of the Health & Environment Alliance’s (HEAL) Annual General Assembly (AGA), a workshop was dedicated to the air quality situation in Europe. Indoor and outdoor air quality, air pollution, and children’s health and air quality measured on the spot were on the agenda. Workshop’s agenda Why did the Health & Environment Alliance’s (HEAL) decide to put Air quality at the top of its priorities? While there have been some (...)