Public Health Policy in the EU

Latest news on the public health policy of the European Union.

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French GM corn cancer researcher to detail work — 15 January 2013, 22:35 CET

A French researcher who claims a link between genetically modified corn and cancer says he will publish his work - a day after the EU, which has cleared the maize, promised to make public its own assessment.

EU releases all data on GM corn linked to cancer — 15 January 2013, 13:43 CET

The EU's food safety agency challenged its doubters on Monday, making available all the scientific information used to clear a genetically modified corn which a French researcher had linked to cancer.

MEPs want inquiry into EU tobacco scandal — 09 January 2013, 18:19 CET

Leading lawmakers from Europe's Greens called Wednesday for an inquiry into a tobacco lobby scandal that cost the bloc's top health official his job late last year.

EU launches public consultation on sweetener aspartame — 08 January 2013, 21:56 CET

The EU's food safety agency on Tuesday launched a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion regarding the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame.

Towards a new EU law on Tobacco Products — 19 December 2012, 17:34 CET

The European Commission on 18 December adopted a landmark proposal to revise the EU Tobacco Products Directive. The proposal is a substantial revision of the current EU law and proposes new and strengthened rules on tobacco products.

EU crackdown on tobacco stops short of plain packets — 20 December 2012, 12:51 CET

With menthol cigarettes to be banned and cigarette packs sold with repulsive images of rotting lungs, the European Union has released new anti-tobacco proposals, the first in over a decade.

Alcohol causes a quarter of Europe road deaths — 15 December 2012, 11:33 CET

Alcohol abuse is responsible for around a quarter of the 30,000 people who die in road accidents across the European Union every year, the bloc's drugs agency said in a report published on Friday.

eHealth action plan 2012-2020 — 11 December 2012, 23:33 CET

The European Commission has unveiled an Action Plan to address barriers to the full use of digital solutions in Europe's healthcare systems. The goal is to improve healthcare for the benefit of patients, give patients more control of their care and bring down costs. While patients and health professionals are enthusiastically using telehealth solutions and millions of Europeans have downloaded smartphone apps to keep track of their health and wellbeing, digital healthcare has yet to reap its great potential to improve healthcare and generate efficiency savings.

EU approves Bayer's new long-term contraceptive — 05 December 2012, 11:27 CET

German drug maker Bayer said on Wednesday that European Union authorities had given the go-ahead for a new contraceptive which can prevent pregnancies for up to three years.

Malta's Tonio Borg appointed new Health Commissioner — 28 November 2012, 13:11 CET

Former Maltese foreign minister Tonio Borg was formally endorsed as the European Union's new Health Commissioner by EU ministers Wednesday despite some debate over his conservative Roman Catholic views.

First big dengue fever outbreak in Europe since 1920s — 21 November 2012, 16:23 CET

Europe is experiencing its first sustained transmission of dengue fever since the 1920s after an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in Madeira, Portugal that has infected more than 1,300 people, an EU agency said.

Swedish EU minister slams Commissioner-designate — 16 November 2012, 21:23 CET

Sweden's Minister for European Affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson, on Friday lashed out at Malta's European Commissioner designate Tonio Borg, describing his views on abortion and same-sex marriage as "terrible".

Maltese Health Commissioner gets Parliament green light — 15 November 2012, 22:25 CET

Euro-MPs have approved the nomination of former Maltese foreign minister Tonio Borg, a well-known Catholic conservative, to the EU's top health job, according to documents seen by AFP.

Euro-MPs grill Maltese nominee for top job — 13 November 2012, 22:12 CET

Former Maltese foreign minister Tonio Borg, his country's nominee for the EU's top health job but a well-known Catholic conservative, was submitted to three hours of intense grilling by MEPs on Tuesday.

EU hands Liberia EUR 42m to cut maternal mortality — 08 November 2012, 22:16 CET

The European Commission on Thursday pledged 42 million euros to Liberia's president and Nobel peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to help halve one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates.

EU has no plans to ban Chanel 5 on allergy findings — 02 November 2012, 16:31 CET

The European Commission said Friday it had no intention for the moment to ban or impose limits on perfumes or cosmetics found to cause an allergic reaction.

EU introduces new road safety rules — 01 November 2012, 10:44 CET

European roads should be safer from Thursday when a whole slew of new safety rules come into force, part of efforts to cut auto accident deaths by 50 per cent by 2020.

Ex-Health Commissioner to challenge ouster — 24 October 2012, 19:02 CET

Former EU health commissioner John Dalli on Wednesday vowed to issue a legal challenge to Brussels following his forced resignation over a tobacco-linked influence-peddling fraud probe.

No smoke without fire? Tobacco lobby mystery shakes Brussels — 22 October 2012, 19:15 CET

A shady Maltese lobbyist, Sweden's substitute for snuff, robberies against anti-smoking groups: the resignation of the EU's top health official in a tobacco-linked "whodunnit" is shaking up Brussels.

Foreign minister named as new Maltese Commissioner — 21 October 2012, 19:29 CET

Malta has nominated its foreign minister to replace the EU's top health official after the previous one resigned amid allegations he sought to sell his influence to the tobacco industry.

Swedish Match says EU bribes totalled EUR 60 million — 19 October 2012, 14:28 CET

Tobacco producer Swedish Match claimed Friday it was offered the opportunity to pay EUR 60 million thwart new EU tobacco legislation in a scandal that has cost Europe's top health official his job.

Uproar as Commissioner quits in tobacco-linked fraud case — 18 October 2012, 12:07 CET

The European Commission faced a growing scandal Wednesday after its top health official resigned on being cited in a tobacco-linked influence-peddling fraud probe.

Maltese Catholic Church offers therapy for abuse victims — 15 October 2012, 19:24 CET

Malta's Catholic Church on Monday offered therapy to child victims of predator priests in the European Union's smallest member state.

Food safety watchdog among four slammed by EU court — 11 October 2012, 22:11 CET

The European Court of Auditors has criticised the EU agency responsible for genetically-modified foods authorisations, currently at the centre of a row over a French study linking GM corn to cancer in rats.

Slovakia, Poland lift ban on Czech spirits — 10 October 2012, 11:16 CET

Slovakia and Poland Tuesday lifted a ban on the import and sale of alcohol from the Czech Republic, where 28 people had died from methanol-tainted bootleg spirits.