Transcript Public health and the EU Francesco Longu Communications

European Public Health Alliance
Workshop
European Union
European Public Health Alliance
Directive on services
Agnese Knabe
Project coordinator
European Public Health Alliance
Civic Alliance – Latvia
The Citizen in the centre in EU, Bratislava 25-26 November,2005
Presentation outline
European Union
 History
 Treaties
 Institutions
Public health and the EU
European Union
4 freedoms
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free movement of goods
free movement of persons
free movement of capitals
free movement of services
WHY EU?
European Coal and Steal Community
In 1951 in Paris 6 countries- Benelux, France,
Germany, Italy signed Treaty European Coal
and Steal Community with aim to establish
Common Coal and Steal market within the
Community member states
EU Principles
The main principle of European Integration
 National interests
 Trans-national interests
 Balance between both interests
EU enlargement
Enlargement
1973. Denmark, Ireland, UK
1981. Greece
1986 Portugal, Spain
1995. Finland, Austria, Sweden,
2004. 10 countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta, Cyprus
The biggest enlargement on EU history. The common
territory enlarged for 34% and population 105 milj.
2007. Bulgaria and Rumania
The preconditions for integration – continent of
Europe, juridical, free market, democratic governing
principles
EU Treaties
The legal base for EU
 regulates the aim and establishment of
institutions to reach the aims (like national
constitutions)
 regulates the policies of EU
 regulates the legislation process
 amendments
 enlargement
EU Treaties
Treaties in force today
Treaty on European (Economic) Community
 Common market establishment
 Harmonization of common economic policies
 Promotion of mutual economic co-operation between the member
states
(trade barriers, Common customs rules, Coordination of monetary
policy, Control of honest competition)
Treaty on European Atomic Energy Community
Development of Atomic energy under trans- national control of institutions
Treaty on European Union
The base for common foreign and security policy and for strengthening common
co-operation on internal and judicial affairs between the member states.
Amendments
Amsterdam (1997)
Nice (2000)
EU Institutions
EU Institutions
4 main governing bodies
 Parliament of EU
 Council of Ministers
 European Commission
 European Court
2 Consultative bodies
• Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC)
• Committee of Regions
EU Institutions
Parliament of EU
1952 established
Election procedure
Direct elections once 5 years
(since 1979 before the national
parliamentarians directly involved in EU)
732 MEP
EU Institutions
Parliament works
Plenary sessions
7 political groups
17 committees
Intergroups
The seats of the Parliamentarians
Population – big states
More then population – small states
EU Institutions
The Competences
 Legislation
 Budget
 Approval of international treaties
 Approves the Commission
 Monitors the Commission work
EU Institutions
Council of Ministers
Ministers of member states
Competences
Legislation
together with Parliament
Till 90s Council was the only institution with
legislation rights but the role of Parliament has
increased since that time
EU Institutions
Work of the Council
Approves the legislation acts initiated by The
Commission.
COREPERS
The decisions is made by the permanent
missions of member states (COREPERS)
 Prepares the meetings of the ministers
 Regulates the relations between the
member states
EU Institutions
Presidency
To ensure the efficiency of the work of The Council
of Ministers
Each country for 6 months is a Presidential role
The Competencies
 To prepare and to lead the meetings of the
Council
 To ensure the coherence and continuity of the
decisions
 To find out the practical solutions
2005Luxemburg/UK
2006 Austria/Finland
EU Institutions
European Commission
 The executive body
 25 Commissionaires (one per country) (27
– rotation procedure)
 Each country nominates the candidature
 Parliament adopts the Commission
 Common interests of the EU
EU Institutions
Competencies
 Legislation initiation
 Monitoring
 Executive
 Prepare the Budget
 monitors the financial recourses of
Structural funds
EU Institutions
Directorates General
Each Commissionaire has its Directorate
General
30 DG
20 000 Bureaucrats
Weekly meetings on EU policies and accepts
the legal acts and political documents
EU Institutions
Consultative bodies
• ECOSOC (Economic and Social Committee)
• Committee of Regions
(The interests of society, voice of society)
ECOSOC
• Gives expertise (suggestions) regarding the legal
acts of the Commission, but it is just Consultative
3 groups
1.employees
2.employers
3.other
317 members elected Council for 4 years
EU Institutions
Committee of Regions
To represent the regions and its people and
advocate their interests
Represents the interests of local and regional
authorities
(health, education, social cohesion)
What EU rights to health exist?
Article 152 of the Amsterdam Treaty states:
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“A high level of health protection shall be
ensured in the definition and
implementation of all Community policies
and activities”
But the EU must respect Member State
responsibilities for organisation and
delivery of health care
What EU rights to health exist?
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“Everyone has the right of access to preventive
healthcare and the right to benefit from medical
treatment under the conditions established by
national law and practices”
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU,
Adopted in Nice, 12/2000
Health in the European Commission
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DG Health and Consumer Protection (public health, food safety,
animal health, monitoring of health, tobacco and alcohol policies)
DG Environment (chemicals, pesticides, soil, air and water
pollution, bio-diversity, nature reserves)
DG Employment and Social Affairs (health and safety at work,
combating discrimination and poverty, maternity and parental
leave).
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DG Internal Market (Recognition of professional qualifications)
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DG Competition (approving mergers eg; Pharma companies)
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DG Agriculture (Common Agriculture Policy)
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DG Development (EU is the world largest source of overseas aid)
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DG Education and Culture (sport, youth policies)
Health in the European Commission
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DG Trade (TRIPS, GATS, access to medicines)
DG Research (scientific research on genomics, food safety,
causes of diseases, environmental health)
DG Information Society (e-health applications)
DG Transport and Energy (energy generation, rail
transport, road safety)
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DG Enterprise (pharmaceuticals and medical devices)
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DG Tax and Customs (excise duties on tobacco/alcohol)
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European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA)
authorisation of drugs, pharmacovigilance
Health in the European Parliament
Committees
 Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
(ENVI)
 Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)
 Internal Market and Consumer Protection
(IMCO)
 Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
Inter-group on health
The role of NGOs on health
 Advocacy of health rights for all
 Representation of citizen and public interest
 Awareness raising on health and human
rights issues
 Monitoring of implementation of health rights
 Challenging violations of health rights
The New Public Health Programme
2007- 2013
The Health part of the programme would have five
key objectives
 to protect citizens against health threats
 to promote policies that lead to a healthier way of
life;
 to contribute to reducing the incidence of major
diseases in the EU;
 to contribute to the development of more effective
and efficient health systems;
 to support the objectives above by providing
health information and analysis
Why health needs to be addressed
at EU level
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Many EU policies have an impact – direct or
indirect – on the health of EU citizens
Implementation of internal market legislation is
de-facto creating policy on health related
issues
The European Commissioner has greater
powers to promote animal welfare than to
protect human health
European Public Health Alliance
39-41 Rue d’Arlon
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 230 30 56
Fax: +32 2 233 38 80
[email protected]
www.epha.org