Sustainable Development

With the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union taking over as of January 2012, the Danish Minister of Agriculture spoke to both the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the EC DG Agriculture at their meetings on 23-25 January 2012. This article presents the most important issues to be dealt in the field of agriculture and food in the next 6 months. Work Programme of the Danish Presidency - Agriculture and Fisheries Unveiling the Danish (...)

Air pollution caused more than 100 billion euros in health and environmental damage: the European Environment Agency (EEA) found. This analysis shows the huge impact of fossil-fueled power stations and the very high costs they impose on people’s health and the environment, making the case for introducing cleaner, renewable and sustainable types of energy even more urgent and cost-effective. According to the EEA report "Revealing the costs of air pollution from industrial facilities (...)

During the OECD 50th Anniversary on ’Better policies for better lives’, EPHA Secretary General Monika Kosinska explained the importance of equity in improving intergenerational solidarity. EPHA participated in the OECD Forum to support the launch of the Better Life Index of OECD and contributed with a briefing on ’Beyond GDP indicators’ EPHA calls to all EU Member States: Health and well being - future golden standard to measure (...)

On the 24-25 May 2011, the OECD releases its Better Life Initiative with the Better Life Index, which uses ‘beyond GDP’ indicators to measure well-being. EPHA welcomes the inclusion of indicators that measure wellbeing and health, and EPHA Secretary General, Monika Kosinska will be a pannelist at eh 2011 OECD Forum Press Release ***For immediate release*** 24 May 2011 Call to all EU Member States: Health and well being - future golden standard to measure progress On the (...)

EPHA has developed a briefing on "Beyond GDP" in preparation for the upcoming OECD forum that will focus on measuring societal progress. The briefing highlights the flaws of using GDP only as an indicator to measure progress, the need for up-to-date information for social indicators, action at the EU and international level is outlined, as well as other indicators that have been developed. Since the release of the Stigltz report in 2009, there has been much debate of the inability of GDP (...)

The European Parliament rapporteur on the EU Budget recently released his draft report on the future EU Budget. Health and civil society are not mentioned in the report. This is worrying as this report will be the European Parliament position on what the priorities of the EU should be for the coming 5 to 7 years. The health community can find below a summary of the report as well as the list of key MEPs to contact in order to advocate for public health to be taken into account by the (...)

The 2011 Commission Work Programme has been released. The annual work programme indicates what proposals the Commission will initiate in a year and explains how the Political Guidelines from the President of the EC will be implemented for that year. The Work Programme has been divided to meet the Europe 2020 objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, with the addition of a Citizen`s programme. The 2011 Work Programme will focus on the economic crisis, specifically economic (...)

In the context of the upcoming budget negotiations, a coalition of seven environmental NGOs launched a position on the future EU budget. The group is made up of Birdlife, Conservation International, CEE Bankwatch, EEB, FOEE, Transport & Environment, and WWF. Their position calls for protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for European citizens. It highlighted gaps in tackling climate change, promoting green jobs, and halting the decline of the planet’s (...)

The European Economic and Social Committee has recently elected Swedish member, Mr Staffan Nilsson, as its new president for a two-and-a-half year term. Staffan Nilsson’s term of office will run until April 2013. The EESC leadership will include vice-president Ms Anna Maria Darmanin, a Maltese national who will be responsible for communication, and vice-president Mr Jacek Krawczyk, a Polish national responsible for the Committee’s budget issues. Presisent Nilsoon has been a (...)

Alliance2015 - a partnership of cross-European non-government organizations working in the field of development cooperation - urged the European Commission (EC) at a hearing in the European Parliament on June 1st to show bold and responsible leadership in the preparations towards the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). EPHA was present during the hearing. The sixth 2015-Watch Report "The EU’s Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals. Keeping the Goals (...)