EuroBrief 5


May 2007, No: 5/2007 Final European Parliament vote on healthcare services
MEPs have adopted their final report on health services. The report, as adopted by the internal market committee earlier in the month, initially called for health to be reintroduced into the Services Directive. Shocked by this development, the BMA and other health stakeholders launched a last minute lobbying campaign to urge UK MEPs to reject this proposal. At its final plenary vote at the end of the month, MEPs removed the contentious paragraph but fell short of calling for a directive to address the issue of health services. As the report was an ‘own initiative report’ (i.e. not part of the official co-decision procedure), the Commission is not legally obliged to act on the Parliament’s recommendations.

The final text as adopted can be viewed at:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2007-0201+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

Public consultation - information to patients
The European Commission has released a public consultation asking for views on the provision of information to patients. Following the adoption of an earlier report in 2004 which rejected the idea of direct to consumer advertising, the Commission now has to review the situation and has published a draft report on current practices in information provision. The key issue highlighted in the report is the distinction between information and advertising. The BMA is submitting a response to the consultation, which is open until 30 June. Further information is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/pharmaceuticals/pharmacos/docs/doc2007/2007_04/draft_infopatients2007_04.pdf

On a related note, four of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies are proposing to launch a television station aimed at promoting their products to the public. ‘Pharma TV’ would be an interactive digital channel providing health news and detailed information about pharmaceutical products. Following an article in The Guardian newspaper, the BMA has submitted a written response which argues strongly against the proposal.

EU White Paper on nutrition published
The European Commission has adopted a White Paper setting out a wide range of proposals on how the EU can tackle nutrition, overweight and obesity. The White Paper stresses the importance of enabling consumers to make informed choices, ensuring that healthy options are available, and calls upon the food industry to work on reformulating recipes, in particular to reduce levels of salt and fats. Highlighting the benefits of physical activity and encouraging Europeans to exercise more is another area requiring development. Key actions due to be undertaken by the Commission include:
  • A revision of nutrition labelling
  • Programmes to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables
  • A White Paper on sport
  • A study to explore the potential of food reformulation to improve diet
The White Paper can be viewed at:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/documents/nutrition_wp_en.pdf

New EU strategy on organ donation and transplantation
The European Commission has adopted a communication proposing actions for closer cooperation between Member States in the field of organ donation and transplantation, and announcing plans for a European directive on quality and safety of organ donation. The communication includes ideas for raising public awareness so as to increase organ donation, e.g. the introduction of a European organ donor card. The directive, expected to be proposed in 2008, would establish oversight authorities in Member States, a common set of quality and safety standards and a system to ensure the traceability and the reporting of serious adverse events and reactions. The full communication can be viewed at:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/human_substance/oc_organs/oc_organs_en.htm

DH guidance on hospital treatment abroad
The UK Department of Health has published its long awaited guidance for healthcare commissioners on handling requests for hospital care in other EU countries. The guidance is a result of last year’s European Court of Justice ruling on the Watts case. The guidance can be read at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_073850

Advanced therapies vote
The European Parliament adopted its final report on the proposal for an EU regulation for advanced therapies (see last month’s Eurobrief). With this vote, MEPs rejected all ethical amendments proposed to the report and therefore backed EU-wide regulation on products or cures derived from human embryonic stem cells. The decision to allow the use of these treatments in respective territories is left to Member States.

Parliament rejects higher alcohol taxes
The European Parliament has rejected a European Commission proposal to increase the EU-wide minimum levels of excise duty on alcoholic drinks. The Parliament was set to vote earlier this month on a report calling for the abolition of minimum rates of excise duty but, after a series of close votes on several amendments, MEPs decided to vote against the whole Commission proposal. According to Parliament's rules, the issue has therefore now been referred back to the Economic Affairs Committee. Parliament's position on taxation matters is consultative only and Member States in the Council can choose to maintain the current rates or increase them as they wish. However, according to EU rules, as long as the Parliament has not officially given its opinion, the dossier cannot move forward. The original 2006 Commission proposal aimed at increasing the current minimum excise rates for alcohol (beer and spirits only, as excise rate for wine would remain at zero) by 31% in order to keep up with inflation. The plans are strongly opposed by the spirits industry.

Annual EU Bologna Process meeting
The annual meeting of all countries involved in the Bologna Process (which aims to achieve a European higher education area by 2010) took place in London this month. During the meeting, delegates agreed to a ‘London Communiqué’ which reaffirmed their commitment to a European higher education area. The communiqué can be read at:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bologna/uploads/documents/LC18May07.pdf

Television Without Frontiers directive approved
Political agreement has been reached on the Television Without Frontiers directive which aims to modernise the rules governing the audiovisual services industry. The new directive will also govern rules for advertising. Children's programmes over 30 minutes may be interrupted by one break in each 30-minute period during which time minors will also be protected from certain types of adverts - these now include unhealthy or "junk food" advertising.

Better treatment needed for obesity
The preliminary results of the 2007 survey by the ‘European Association for the Study of Obesity’ were presented in the 15th European Congress on Obesity which took place in Hungary last month. The study concluded that there are significant gaps in medical services with few doctors receiving adequate training to cope with the rising number of patients in need of management for overweight and obesity. This leads to obese patients depending mostly on GPs or other doctors with little or no expertise in this field. Further information on the study can be found at:

http://www.iotf.org/documents/Europeneedsbetterprovisionforobesitytreatment_000.pdf

New website to promote healthy cooking for children
The European Commission and the European Chefs' association have launched "EU Mini-chefs" - a website for children which aims to contribute to the fight against child obesity by encouraging healthy eating and cooking. It promotes the European Day for Healthy Food and Cooking, to be celebrated on 8 November 2007. On that day chefs across the EU will demonstrate to children how to cook and eat healthily in schools and restaurants. The website can be viewed at:

http://eu.mini-chefs.eu/

Innovative Medicines Initiative
The European Commission has proposed a new initiative that seeks to overcome research bottlenecks in the drug development process. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) aims to reinvigorate the European bio-pharmaceutical sector by bringing together public and private funds. It will receive €1 billion from the EU Seventh Framework Programme which will be matched by industry funding.

© British Medical Association 2008

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