2010 November - EHC

Medicines in Europe Forum (MiEF) have called MEPs to oppose the Commission’s proposal with
regard to the public provision of information relating to drugs subjected to medical regulation,
specifically for a directive to modify Directive 2001/83/CE and a regulation to modify (EC)726/2004.
According to them, the proposal would generate more bureaucracy, expose patients to greater risks
and bring additional costs for member states, which would have to deal with the consequences.
Next Steps
� 24 November: first reading vote of the European Parliament plenary
European Health Forum Gastein addresses healthy ageing
The 13 th European Health Forum
Gastein (EHFG) was held on 6-9
October 2010 and focused on
“Creating a better future for Health”.
Issues such as health literacy and investment in a healthy workforce, the growing ageing population,
cost-saving measures were tackled. On the issue of ageing, EHFG president Prof. Günther Leiner,
called the EU and governments to put in place a European fund for the aged that would help
compensate for the deficit in available care for older people. “Everyone should be able to age in
dignity in Europe, not just in a few member countries” he stressed. He believes such a fund could be
created at the image of the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) which aims to reduce
economic development inequalities across European regions. He also believes that “such a measure
would be fully within the spirit of the European Commission’s Europe 2020 strategy, a leading
initiative for ensuring economic, social and territorial cohesion by helping the poor and socially
excluded.”
(poster presented by EUHASS at the Forum)
Health Commissioner Dalli also addressed the issue of
ageing in his keynote speech. He mentioned in particular
that as part of the European Commission initiative on an
“Innovation Union” by 2020, an “Innovation Partnership
on Healthy and Active Ageing” will be created.
Commissioner Dalli stressed that the aim of the
partnership is to “increase by two years the number of
years that Europeans can live an active and healthy life.”
The new initiative will bring together governments, civil
society, industry and the European Commission to deliver
concrete innovative solutions to meet the needs of
patients.
(Poster made and presented by EUHASS at the Forum)
Additional information
Information on the 13 th European Health Forum Gastein:
http://www.ehfg.org/index.php
EHC Newsletter| NOVEMBER 2010 18