Euro Brief
January 2007. No: 1/2007
BMA Northern Ireland holds European Parliament reception
Final BMA response to healthcare services consultation
Recognition of professional qualifications – legal proceedings launched
Organ donation and transplantation: consultation results
European medicines database launched
More action needed on road safety
Funding for health projects under new FP7 programme
Bid to boost consumption of fruit and vegetables
BMA Northern Ireland holds European Parliament reception
Earlier this month BMA Northern Ireland, in association with the Irish Medical Organisation, held a reception at the European Parliament in Brussels to showcase the potential for the two organisations to work together to promote health on the whole island of Ireland. The event was attended by press and MEPs and was an opportunity to influence EU policy makers on the need for the island to work together on health related issues such as road safety.
Final BMA response to healthcare services consultation
The BMA has submitted its final response to the European Commission consultation on healthcare services. In its response, the BMA welcomes the prospect of future patient mobility as an opportunity to raise general standards of care but cautioned against overlooking crucial considerations such as language considerations, clinical handover and continuity of care. It also raised issues concerning professional mobility. For a copy of the BMA response, please contact the Brussels Office.
The public health committee of the European Parliament will take the parliamentary lead on responding to the consultation - it will do so in the form of an oral question and resolution during a forthcoming plenary session rather than through a full report.
Interestingly, the internal market committee is also currently debating a report on 'The impact and consequences of the exclusion of health services from the Services Directive'. The internal market committee discussed its draft report earlier this month and is due to vote on the report during the May plenary session.
The public health committee and the internal market are currently debating who will take the parliamentary lead on the European Commission’s future proposals on the issue which are expected to be published in summer 2007.
Finally, at its meeting on 30-31 May, the Health Council of Ministers is due to hold an exchange of views on the possible new framework for health services.
Recognition of professional qualifications – legal proceedings launched
The European Commission has launched legal proceedings against a number of EU Member States for failing to fully implement the Directive on the Professional Recognition of Qualifications. Portugal has been referred to the European Court of Justice for failing to implement the Directive in the case of pharmacist-biologists (those specialised in analysing clinical samples), whilst Spain is being referred for failing to implement the Directive in the field of hospital pharmacists.
France has been referred over its discrimination against holders of foreign diplomas in the field of dentistry. Meanwhile, Luxembourg has been sent a ‘reasoned opinion’ (i.e. second warning) over its implementation of the Directive as regards the activities that midwives are permitted to undertake without supervision by a doctor.
Finally, Germany has also been sent a ‘reasoned opinion’ for failing to recognise the foreign dentistry diplomas of those who had previously failed exams for obtaining a German diploma.
Organ donation and transplantation: consultation results
In June 2006, the European Commission launched an open consultation on organ donation and transplantation. The aim of the consultation was to identify the main problems encountered in organ donation and transplantation, to invite ideas on EU initiatives that could
help to solve these problems, and to determine the extent to which measures should be taken at EU level. The Commission has now published a summary document outlining the main contributions made to the debate and thus shaping future EU action on the issue. The document demonstrates that there was agreement that quality and safety of organs need to be ensured, and that at present the main problem is the shortage of organs. However, respondents fell short of calling for a centralised European donor pool. The document can be viewed at:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/human_substance/oc_organs/docs/oc_organs_frep_en.pdf
The Commission will imminently publish concrete proposals on the issue.
European medicines database launched
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has launched a new database to help the public gain access to information about medicines available in the EU. The database will be developed in stages. It is currently only in stage one, giving information on mainly innovative new medicines that have been authorised by the European Commission following assessment by EMEA. The information includes a summary of the medicine’s characteristics, package leaflets and labelling of the product. The database can be viewed at:
http://eudrapharm.eu/eudrapharm/changeStaticLanguageAction.do?languagecode=en&countrycode=GB
More action needed on road safety
The European Parliament has adopted a report in response to the European Commission’s mid-term review of the EU Road Safety Action Plan. The report voices disappointment at the lack of progress in reaching the target of halving the number of road fatalities in the EU by 2010. It urges Member States to enforce existing legislation, which MEPs say would greatly improve road safety if it were fully observed by road users. It also makes a number of other recommendations including the introduction of an EU-wide zero alcohol limit for new drivers.
Funding for health projects under new FP7 programme
The EU research programme, known as FP7, has a budget of €54.582 billion over the next seven years. Health is one of eight eligible themes of the programme and has a total allocated budget of €6.1 billion. The European Commission has now released the first call for proposals under this programme which includes funding opportunities for health-related research. This first call covers many areas of research including cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, rare diseases, new epidemics, HIV/AIDS, human development and ageing. The deadline for funding applications is 19 April 2007 and the total available budget for this call is €628 million. A further call for proposals is due in September 2007. For more information on how to apply, please see:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationDetailsCallPage&call_id=10
Bid to boost consumption of fruit and vegetables
The European Commission has published a proposal aimed at boosting the consumption of fruit and vegetables. The proposed reform of the sector would increase EU funding of advertising of fruit and vegetables that is targeted at school aged children and adolescents.