Resultaten van de Raad Volksgezondheid en Consumentenzaken (en)

Health

ECDC: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (TM)

Real progress has been made by Health Ministers in the general approach towards establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The Italian Council Presidency concluded that there is a "general consensus" on the "paramount necessity" to substantially reinforce the means to control communicable diseases effectively in Europe by establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, pending the adoption of the European Parliament's first reading opinion scheduled for February 2004. The new centre, proposed by the Commission in July 2003 (see IP/03/1091 and MEMO/03/155), would mobilise and significantly reinforce the synergies between the existing national centres for disease control. By pooling expertise around Europe it would be able to provide authoritative scientific advice on serious health threats, recommend control measures, allow quick mobilisation of intervention teams and thus enable a rapid and effective EU-wide response. The ECDC could already be operational from early 2005 onwards.

Cancer screening (TM)

Ministers adopted a Recommendation on cancer screening which calls on Member States to implement effective screening programmes for breast cancer, colon cancer and cervical cancer. It outlines best practice guidelines in early detection of these cancers. The original proposal was put forward by the Commission in May this year (see IP/03/657). Cancer kills about one in four people in Europe. Though Europe has made good progress in reducing cancer deaths in recent years, significant differences remain between countries. Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne stressed: "Estimates suggest that the lives of about 75,000 Europeans could be saved annually if best practices of cancer screening were made available to all citizens across the European Union. In addition over 50.000 lives could be saved by extending these Recommendations to the Acceding Countries." The Commission will report on the implementation of the cancer screening programmes by 2007 the latest.

Healthy lifestyles (TM)

Ministers adopted Council "Conclusions on healthy lifestyles: education, information and communication". The content of the conclusions is in line with the overall approach of the Public Health Action Programme for 2003-2008 (see IP/03/393). It underlines the need for an integrated approach to foster health. In practice, this will require a strong coordination of actions carried out in the Health Determinants and the Health Information strands of the programme.

Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne said: "There is strong scientific evidence that tackling just a few of lifestyle-related risk factors high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and alcohol abuse will have a very significant impact on the prevalence of chronic diseases."

International Health Regulations (TM)

The International Health Regulations (IHR) are being revised under the framework of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to cover all public health emergencies of international concern and not just cholera, plague and yellow fever which are covered at present. The Commission supports the WHO's proposals (see IP/03/1282). Outbreaks or incidents of diseases covered by the IHR must be notified to WHO and control measures taken at ports, airports and land borders. Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne said: "The scope of the revised International Health Regulations will be substantially increased. This revision addresses the principles of maximum security against the international spread of diseases with the minimum interference with world trade and traffic. The Community should strive to become a major player in a reinforced system of international cooperation in relation to health threats. We will be in an especially strong position to achieve this when the ECDC is established." Today's Council Decision paves the way for the Community to participate fully in the IHR revision process.

Nutritional and health claims on food (TM)

Ministers approved a progress report prepared by the Council secretariat on the Commission's proposal for a Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods (see IP/03/1022). As consumers have become increasingly concerned about what they eat and how this affects their health, the food industry has responded by providing more detailed nutrition labelling and often making claims about the beneficial effects of certain foods. The existing EU rules on labelling and nutrition labelling, which do not define conditions for the use of nutrition claims and do not allow health claims to be made, are often not properly enforced. Consumers can therefore be misled by claims that have not been properly substantiated. The proposed Regulation would give legal security and address these issues by specifying the conditions for the use of nutrition and health claims, prohibiting certain claims and scientifically evaluating the use of claims in relation to the nutritional profile of foods. No food product will as a consequence be prohibited but claims on food products will have a true meaning for the consumer.

Public Health and pharmaceuticals (TM, PS)

Health Ministers adopted a Council Resolution on "Pharmaceuticals and Public Health Challenges - Focusing on the Patients" which supports the Commission's Communication published last summer. "I am very pleased that the resolution addresses the role of patients in decision making and policy processes", David Byrne said. Its general aim is to stress the public health aspects in relation to pharmaceuticals and to complement the Council Conclusions "Reinforcing the competitiveness of the European-based pharmaceutical industry" which were adopted on 22 September by the Competitiveness Council. The key issues in the Resolution are information to patients, relative effectiveness, promotion of scientific and technological research on medicines, an EU system of data on medicines marketed in the EU and the balance between industrial and public health policies in the field of pharmaceuticals.

Medical devices (PS)

Commissioner Liikanen welcomed the conclusions, stating they show consensus on the fact that the current legal framework is appropriate. He explained that the Commission plans, however, to propose amendments to increase safety and to facilitate a coherent and consistent implementation, further stating that work in this area has already started (in particular on conformity assessment). The Commissioner further announced the launch of a study on medical devices.

Consumer protection

Framework for financing consumer activities (TM)

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers Affairs Council adopted a Decision on the legal framework for financing consumer activities for the period 2004-2007. The previous framework, Decision 283/1999/EC, expires on 31 December. The new framework's annual budget of €18 million to consumer policy actions in the current 15 EU Member States will target financing capacity building actions and training to consumer organisations to help them contribute effectively to EU policy development. It will also give a high priority to actions that accelerate the application of EU consumer protection laws in the new Member States, and to actions that will contribute to the integration of consumer interests in other EU policies. The annual budget will be adapted to take account of Enlargement once the EU's budget for 2004 is adopted by Parliament and Council. As well as being open to organisations from all 25 Member States of the enlarged EU the programme will also be open to Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.

Administrative consumer protection cooperation (TM)

Ministers had a first debate on the Commission's proposal from July this year for a Regulation on cooperation between national bodies responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws (see IP/03/1067). The regulation would link up national watchdogs and enable them to take co-ordinated action against rogue traders who abuse the freedom of the EU's Internal Market in order to deceive consumers. It would remove existing cross-border barriers to information exchange and cooperation and empowers enforcement authorities to seek and obtain action from their counterparts in other Member States. Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne said: "We want to encourage cross-border trade. Technology, the euro and use of languages are positive factors towards this. But rogue traders are trying to use these changes to mislead and abuse consumers in new ways. It is getting harder to find out who is the trader behind the post office box, the website or the email. The tide of misleading spam and direct mail is growing, as they become cheaper marketing tools. What was once a national problem is now an international cross-border problem but existing enforcement systems are designed for national markets and are therefore not able to meet these challenges. This is not a problem we can afford to ignore. When consumers get ripped off by fake lotteries and games, miracle cures and diets, timeshare and holiday clubs, misleading travel websites or door-to-door salesmen, they suffer. And so do the honest traders in these sectors who lose business to the rogues. If rogues prevail, consumer confidence in technologies and retail channels collapses. The result is reduced competition and competitiveness."

Safety of services for consumers (TM)

Ministers adopted a Council Resolution on the safety of services for consumers. The Resolution addresses the main issues mentioned in a report the Commission adopted in June 2003. Research carried out by the Commission highlighted gaps in the availability of data on service safety and risks. Systematic data collection and accident monitoring is limited to a few sectors like transport and health. For other sectors, like services related to tourism, sports and leisure activities, data are scarce and not detailed enough to interpret with any certainty. Consequently, in a number of service sectors, there is not enough quantitative data available to carry out a proper risk assessment, to compare risk levels in different countries, or to identify gaps and weaknesses in the existing national risk management systems. The report therefore suggested the introduction of a legislative framework aimed at monitoring and supporting national consumer policies. The tools which are foreseen are: procedure for an exchange of information, systematic collection and assessment of data on risks and procedures for setting European standards. The Council Resolution endorses this approach.

The Commission also submitted to the Council, as well as to the European Parliament and to the European Economic and Social Committee, the first review of the rolling programme of actions of the Consumer Policy Strategy 2002-2006. The rolling programme gives an overview of the state of play of consumer policy actions as such and of other EU policies which have an impact on consumers. See:

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