Belangrijke vraagstukken op de agenda van de EU-ministers van Volksgezondheid (en)
Particularly important health issues for European citizens, such as serious cross-border threats to health, healthy ageing and organ donation and transplantation will be addressed by EU Ministers of Health, during the second day of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council in Brussels, on Friday, December 7, 2012. On this day, the Council will deal with health and consumer affairs issues and discussions on the proposal for a Decision on serious cross-border threats to health will aim at bridging the existing divergences.
The EPSCO Council is expected to adopt Conclusions on organ donation and transplantation and on healthy ageing across the lifecycle. Among other issues, Health Ministers will be informed on the proposals for the revision of the directives concerning pharmaceuticals, medical devices, the Regulation of Health for Growth Programme, the legislative proposals on foodstuff, as well as the progress achieved by Member States on the transposition of the Directive on the application of patients rights on cross border healthcare. The Council meeting will be chaired by Cyprus’ Minister of Health, Dr Androula Agrotou.
Aiming at effectively combating serious cross-border threats to health
The Cyprus Presidency will inform the ministers of the progress made in the discussion of the proposed decision on serious cross-border threats to health, while the discussion will focus on specific aspects of the proposal, that appear to be the basis for disagreement during the discussion of the Proposal to the Council. The aim is to bridge the existing differences at a political level.
Initiatives for organ donation and transplantation and healthy ageing across the lifecycle
The Presidency's intention is to adopt comprehensive conclusions which will invite both the Member States and the Commission to further strengthen cooperation towards the promotion of activities in the field of organ donation and transplantation in order to ensure the availability, efficiency and accessibility of transplantation systems and the improvement of quality and safety.
Additionally, with regards to the key issue of healthy ageing, the Council is expected to adopt Conclusions on "Healthy Ageing across the Lifecycle", derived from the results of a high-level conference organised by the Cyprus Presidency, requesting coordinated actions for disease prevention and protection, in addition to health promotion throughout the lifecycle.
Safe, effective and innovative medical devices
During the Session of the Council, Health Ministers will be briefly informed on the Proposals for amending the Directives on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices.
During the working lunch, they will have the opportunity to discuss the progress made on the common Action Plan for Medical Devices as a result of the case arisen with the PIP implants.
Briefing on pricing of medicinal products for human use, the proposals for foodstuffs and other issues
The Presidency will inform Health Ministers of the progress achieved in the Council on the amendment of the Directive related to the transparency of measures regulating the pricing of medicinal products for human use as well as their compensation within the framework of national health insurance systems.
In relation to foodstuffs, the Presidency expects to reach a general approach on the Proposal for a Regulation on the amendment of the breakfast foods directives with regards to the powers to be conferred on the Commission.
In addition, the briefing will focus on the legislative proposal for a Regulation for food for infants and young children, as well as foods for special medical purposes, where the Cyprus Presidency succeeded, after three trilogies, to reach an initial agreement.
Health Ministers will also be informed on the Proposal for a Regulation establishing the 3rd Health Program, as well as on the issues which have been identified as disputed.
Furthermore, they will be informed by the European Commission on the issue of the transposition of the Directive concerning the applications of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare.
Finally, the Presidency will inform Health Ministers on the results of the 5th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (CoP5 FCTC) and on the main conferences and meetings relating to health issues organised in Cyprus during the Presidency.