Development and Health

Amnesty International urges EU Institutions to end Female Genital Mutilation

Amnesty International Ireland, together with 15 other organisations from across Europe, has been running the END Female Genital mutilation (FGM) European Campaign since 2009 to promote awareness and challenge the EU to end FGM and other forms of violence against women. On 27 February 2013 the Seminar "Towards European Action to end Female Genital Mutilation" took place in the European Parliament, as part of the END FGM-European Campaign aiming "to put female genital mutilation high on the (...)

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Also about: Gender Issues , Social Issues , well being , vulnerable groups , prevention , sexual , discrimination , social determinants of health , equality

Breaking barriers - Roma students can become doctors!

Since 2010, the Roma Center for Health Policies – SASTIPEN has been implementing a Tutorship Programme to help Roma students in several European countries (like Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bulgaria) who want to become doctors and whose social and financial support is limited. This Tutorship Programme offers preparatory courses for Roma students in biology, chemistry and/or physics. Roma students also receive mentoring and technical assistance to help them pass admission exams (...)

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Also about: Social Issues , poverty and health , Health Inequalities , Millenium Development Goals , Health in all policies , Roma , discrimination

Involvement of civil society organisations crucial to effectively run EU funds, says EU-Commission

The European Commission responds to a civil society open letter by assuring its determination to defend the objectives of the European Code of Conduct on Partnership. In November 2012 the Platform of European Social NGOs sent an open letter to the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission supporting the proposal on the Partnership principle in the regulation on structural funds. The letter voiced concerns on a existing trend towards weakening participation of socio-economic and (...)

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Also about: environment , Civil Society , better regulation , European Commission , EU funds , Europe 2020

[EPHA Consultation] Response on sustainable development

EPHA took part in the recent consultation on sustainable development. At the meeting, EPHA suggested a number of ways that health could be promoted in the follow up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) 2012. EPHA strongly supports the efforts made by the Council to support sustainable development and the Beyond GDP agenda. Moreover, EPHA calls on the Commission to include a health dimension and to give strong political support for progress measures beyond GDP (...)

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Also about: Sustainable Development , Social Issues , Chronic Diseases , poverty and health , financial , taxation , beyond-GDP , global health

Ageing populations- Council conclusions on the sustainability of public finances

After the economic and financial affairs Council meeting, the Council has stated that in order to fight the economic and financial crisis and enhance sustainable growth, EU Member States have to ensure progress towards long-term fiscal sustainability of public finances. Further implementations of structural reforms should be done in accordance with the Europe 2020 strategy. According to positive developments related to life expectancy, more attention has to be paid to ageing population (...)

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Also about: Ageing and Older People , Access to Medicines , Economic crisis , Europe 2020 , social protection

A Greener Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) crucial for Public Health Community

The European Policy Centre (EPC) think tank, in cooperation with the World Wide Fund (WWF) European Policy Office, organised a Policy Dialogue on 14 February, on the topic of ‘What future for the Common Agricultural Policy?’ The European Public Health & Agriculture Consortium (EPHAC) contributed to the debate highlighting the messages of the public health community towards the ongoing CAP reform. Discussions on the common agricultural policy (CAP) are already heated, with (...)

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Also about: Civil Society , Consumer Protection , CAP reform , poverty and health , food safety , EU budget , CAP , farmers , Healthy diets and food , Health-promoting environment , Europe 2020 , agriculture , beyond-GDP , food security

Women and Cardiovascular Disease in the EU

14 February - Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity to think about women’s hearts. On its latest policy briefing, the European Institute of Women’s Health (EIWH) highlighted the key differences between women and men in matters of the heart - such as risk factors, symptoms, treatment and biomedical research. Traditionally regarded as a male disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women worldwide. It is also a major cause of serious illness and (...)

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Also about: Gender Issues , Social Issues , poverty and health , Reproductive and sexual health , Millenium Development Goals , sexual , global health , women health

EU budget 2014-2020: EU leaders agree to historic cut

Following over a year of negotiations and a final 24 hour-long summit, the EU budget 2014-2020 was agreed on 8 February. Smaller than the current 2007-2013 budget, the new EU budget (called multiannual financial framework) sets the EU financial priorities and spending limits until 2020. This is the first time in the Union’s history that a net reduction on its budget has been made. The deal struck roughly represents 1% of EU Gross National Income. The net reduction comes at a time when (...)

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Also about: EU Institutions , Civil Society , eHealth , youth , EU budget , public health programme , social policy , agriculture , beyond-GDP

[Joint Press Release] Beyond disappointment – European lawmakers on the side of automobile industry on traffic noise vote

Brussels, February 6 - The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) (1) and the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) (2) regret the outcome of today’s plenary vote at the European Parliament (EP) on the regulation on the sound level of motor vehicles. The majority of European Parliamentarians – the elected representatives of the citizens - have turned a blind eye to people’s concerns, and prioritised the automobile industry over everyone’s health and well-being. (...)

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Also about: Air Quality and Air Pollution , Sustainable Development , children and adolescents , Transport , Non-communicable diseases , WHO , cardiovascular

European Commission taken to Court over privileged access for corporates in EU-India free trade talks

Corporate Europe Observatory launched a legal action against the European Commission for witholding information related to the EU free trade negotiations with India, while sharing the same information with corporate lobbyists. The European Court of Justice will hear the case on January 11 2013. CEO accuses the Commission of discriminating in favour of corporate lobby groups and of violating the EU’s transparency rules. The lawsuit (T-93/11) concerns 17 documents related to the (...)

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Also about: Trade and Health , Access to Medicines , Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Transparency , better regulation , European Commission , global health