Prioriteiten gezondheidsbeleid tijdens Litouws voorzitterschap (en)

Lithuanian Minister of Health Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis has named the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive, concentration on sustainable heath systems, continuity of Ireland's efforts to reach general approach on clinical trials on medicinal products for human use and mediating the discussions on the Regulations on medical devices as well as on in vitro diagnostic medical devices as the priorities during the Lithuanian EU Council Presidency.

In his presentation given during the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Luxembourg on June 21, Minister V. P. Andriukaitis stressed that Lithuania is ready to tackle the EU health issues. "Citizens of the EU are waiting for us to figure out a way to make the European health systems more resistant to economic hardships and more flexible to innovation," says V.P. Andriukaitis.

Lithuanian minister of Heath also congratulated members of ESPCO on the Council's common approach on the Tobacco Products Directive calling for the cooperation of effort to update and complete the current Directive.

Lithuanian Minister of Health invited his colleagues EU ministers to attend the informal EPSCO Council in Vilnius, which is scheduled to take place on 8-9 July, and will include discussions on topics of prevention of youth smoking, mental health and aging, as well as long-term perspective of sustainable heath systems and shaping of EU health policy after 2013.

The EPSCO Council took note of the progress reports presented by the Irish Presidency on the proposals of the European Parliament and the EU Council regulation on medical devices and the European Parliament and the EU Council regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices, as well as progress report on the regulation on Clinical trials.