Healthy nutrition for children and effective and affordable medicines: Bulgarian Minister for Health speaks before the ENVI European Parliament committee

Healthy nutrition for children and the need for effective and affordable medicines will be the topics in the area of health on which Bulgaria will focus during its Presidency, Kiril Ananiev, Minister for Health, told Members of the European Parliament today. He presented the Presidency priorities in the health sector before representatives of the EP’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee in the context of the traditional exchanges of views with ministers from the incoming Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Mr Ananiev said: “Healthcare is one of the areas where the EU contribution to the life of people is most tangible. At the same time, Europe is aspiring towards more innovations and competitiveness. Healthcare initiatives at EU level should be guided not only by the drive to support industry and innovation, but above all, by the need to protect human health. Whatever product is launched on the market - medicines, foods, etc., we need to be conscious of its impact on human health. Otherwise, we risk losing the most valuable: people’s trust in the system.”

During its Presidency, Bulgaria will steer the debate on two important topics:

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  Healthy nutrition for children is a topic of utmost importance. A topic, related to the debate for the Future of Europe. The future of a competitive Europe is inconceivable without a healthy and well-educated young generation. This discussion aims to strengthen the health perspective in discussions on foods and diets, including in the context of the next Common Agricultural Policy post-2020.
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  The need for effective pharmaceutical products at affordable prices. In particular, we will concentrate on the effectiveness of therapy and effectiveness of public spending.

Bulgaria will also work on the amendments to the EMA regulation, within the veterinary package. The first negotiations on this piece of legislation have already taken place in a very constructive spirit.

Should a new legislative proposal on HTA and an initiative on vaccines come out during the Bulgarian Presidency, the country will also launch discussions on them.

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The full statement by Mr Ananiev is available here.

Mr Ananiev is the last Bulgarian Minister to present the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in his area of responsibility before a committee of the European Parliament for this month. Earlier in January, all of his colleagues who will be chairing Council meetings during the Bulgarian Presidency spoke before their partner Members of the European Parliament. More information is available here, here, here and here.

Together with the address of the Bulgarian Prime Minister to the European Parliament plenary, the presentations form part of the interinstitutional dialogue between the Council and the European Parliament.