Public Health Policy in the EU

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

European Platform on Rare Disease Registration (EU RD Platform) — 28 February 2019, 22:34 CET

The European Commission launched on Rare Disease Day 28 February 2019 a new online knowledge-sharing platform to support better diagnosis and treatment for more than 30 million Europeans living with a rare disease.

New EU rules on fake drugs enter into force — 12 February 2019, 19:07 CET

New rules on safety features for prescription medicines sold in the EU entered into force Saturday, heralding the introduction of end-to-end verification and safety features on prescription medicines.

Falsified medicines — 11 February 2019, 14:14 CET

Falsified medicines are often disguised as authentic medicines but may contain ingredients of bad or toxic quality, or in the wrong dosage. As they have not been properly checked for quality, safety and efficacy, as required by strict EU authorisation, they can pose a real risk to your health. As falsified medicines become more sophisticated, the risk of them reaching patients in the EU increases. They represent a serious threat to global health and call for a comprehensive strategy both at European and international level.

New safety features for medicines sold in the EU — 11 February 2019, 14:16 CET

As of 9 February 2019, the new rules on safety features for prescription medicines sold in the EU will apply.

New plans for accessing health data across EU borders — 07 February 2019, 22:25 CET

The Commission presented a set of recommendations Wednesday for the creation of a secure system that will enable citizens to access their electronic health files across EU Member States.

European Electronic Health Record exchange format — 07 February 2019, 20:35 CET

The European Commission presented on 6 February a Recommendation for the creation of a secure system that will enable citizens to access their electronic health files across EU Member States.

EU's ePrescriptions programme gets first roll out in Estonia — 22 January 2019, 21:22 CET

Finnish patients were for the first time able to go to a pharmacy in Estonia and retrieve medicines prescribed electronically by their doctor in Finland, in a trial under the EU ePrescriptions programme.

Overview of national laws on electronic health records in the EU Member States — 22 January 2019, 21:16 CET

The study has two main goals. First, to provide an overview of the national laws on electronic health records within the EU Member States. Second, to assess the interaction of these national laws with the provision of cross-border eHealth services mentioned in Directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (2011/24/EU) . For each EU Member State (and Norway) a specific country report is available, containing the legal requirements applying to EHRs. These reports are not only focused on the current state of affairs, but also take into account potential future legislation. The national reports are used to perform a comparative analysis resulting in concrete recommendations, on a broad range of issues, for both national and EU actors.

eHealth : Digital health and care — 22 January 2019, 21:10 CET

Digital health and care refers to tools and services that use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and management of health and lifestyle. Digital health and care has the potential to innovate and improve access to care, quality of care, and to increase the overall efficiency of the health sector.

Legislation on Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMP) and Medicated Feed — 27 November 2018, 00:24 CET

The EU Council adopted the Regulations on the veterinary medicinal products and medicated feed on 26 November.

Mental health issues cost EU 4 pct of GDP: report — 22 November 2018, 18:10 CET

Mental health and preventing mental illness not only have social consequences but are estimated to cost more than 4 per cent of GDP across the EU, the 2018 'Health at a Glance: Europe reports.

Brussels sets out strategy on hormone disrupting chemicals — 07 November 2018, 18:21 CET

The EU Commission unveiled a long-awaited strategy on endocrine disrupting chemicals Wednesday, with the aim of protecting consumers against harmful chemicals which change our hormonal system.

Boost for joint European assessment of medicines — 04 October 2018, 18:23 CET

A new law adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday aims to avoid duplicating national assessments to determine a medicine's added value that help EU countries decide on pricing.

Brussels cracks down on use of plastic toxins — 12 July 2018, 12:27 CET

The EU Commission took action Wednesday to restrict the placing on the market of articles containing four phthalates found in a wide variety of everyday plastic products, from toys to sport equipment.

Drugs report highlights resurgence of cocaine in Europe — 08 June 2018, 00:11 CET

The European Drug Report 2018, issued by the EU drugs agency Thursday, highlights increased availability of cocaine in Europe, with around 2.3 million young adults having used the drug in the last year.

Cannabis use and road safety - frequently asked questions — 23 May 2018, 22:14 CET

What is the impact of cannabis use on driving? Do edible and smoked cannabis products affect drivers in the same way? How should the law deal with drivers who take cannabis for medical reasons? These are among the questions addressed today in a new policy briefing on cannabis and driving, published by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).

Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018-19 — 25 April 2018, 17:29 CET

The Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2018-19, Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances, aims to raise awareness of dangerous substances in the workplace and disseminate information about how exposure can be prevented. The campaign is coordinated at national level by EU-OSHA's focal points and supported by official campaign and media partners and the Enterprise Europe Network. It has five main objectives: to raise awareness of the relevance and importance of managing dangerous substances in Europe's workplaces; to promote risk assessment, elimination and substitution by providing practical tools and examples of good practice; to raise awareness of the risks of exposure to carcinogens by supporting the exchange of good practices; to target specific groups of workers who are at greater risk, by providing tailored facts and figures and guidance on good practice; to increase awareness of developments in policy and legislation, by providing a plain language overview of the existing legislation and guidance.

Brussels proposes new action against carcinogins at the workplace — 05 April 2018, 17:23 CET

The European Commission proposed new measures Thursday to limit workers' exposure to five cancer-causing chemicals, as well as other health problems.

Health Technology Assessment - background guide — 31 January 2018, 15:51 CET

The European Commission put forward on 31 January a proposal to boost cooperation amongst EU Member States for assessing health technology.

Brussels looks to boost health technology cooperation — 31 January 2018, 23:00 CET

A proposal to boost cooperation amongst EU Member States for assessing health technology will boost innovation and improve the competitiveness of Europe's medical industry, says the Commission.

EU adopts track and trace system for tobacco — 18 December 2017, 23:22 CET

The European Union took an important step forward in combating the illicit trade in tobacco products Friday with an EU-wide track and trace system to ensure tobacco products in the EU are easily traceable.

Tobacco track and trace system — 18 December 2017, 22:59 CET

A new EU-wide track and trace system adopted on 15 December 2017 is designed to ensure that tobacco products in the EU are easily traceable with a unique identifier for each product.

Commission renews approval of glyphosate herbicide for 5 years — 12 December 2017, 23:18 CET

The European Commission renewed for 5 years EU approval of glyphosate Tuesday, following scientific assessment which it says concludes there is no link between glyphosate and cancer in humans.

Approval of pesticides in the EU — 12 December 2017, 23:15 CET

What are pesticides? Who decides on their authorisation? Who is responsible for their use? How can pesticides be used safely? An active substance is only approved by the European Commission after a rigorous and lengthy science-based assessment to ensure its use is safe. The assessment of these dossiers is then conducted jointly by: the national authorities in EU Member States; the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

What I need to know about Biosimilar Medicines - Information for patients — 29 November 2017, 17:15 CET

The European Commission launched today additional translations of the Q&A paper “What I Need to Know about Biosimilar Medicines – Information for patients’’ making it available now in 23 official European languages, in order to provide patients with easy-to-understand information about biosimilar medicines. What are biosimilar medicines? How are they produced? How are they approved? Are they safe? – These questions and many more are addressed in this paper. Empowering patients to engage, discuss and participate in decisions on their treatment options is key to improving patient outcomes and contributing to the effective treatment of their individual condition(s).