Health Guides

Towards a new EU law on Tobacco Products by EUbusiness — last modified 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.

eHealth action plan 2012-2020 by EUbusiness — last modified 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 adopts list of approved flavouring substances by EUbusiness — last modified 02 October 2012, 14:12 CET

Flavouring substances in food will become even safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted today by the European Commission. Only those flavouring substances featuring on the approved lists will be permitted for use by the food industry. Used to alter the taste and/or odour of food, flavourings substances have a long history of safe use in a wide variety of foods, such as soft drinks, confectionery, cereals, cakes and yoghurts, and have now been evaluated at EU level. These two new pieces of legislation will clarify and harmonise the use of flavouring substances within the single market: The first Regulation1 provides for a new EU wide list of flavouring substances which can be used in food and will apply from 22 April 2013, giving time for the EU food industry to adapt to the new rules. All flavouring substances not in the list will be prohibited after a phasing out period of 18 months. The second Regulation2 concerns transitional measures for other flavourings such as flavourings made from non-food sources and will apply from 22 October 2012. The new list includes over 2,100 authorised flavouring substances. A further 400 will remain on the market until EFSA concludes its evaluation. These have been used for a long time and have already been assessed as safe by other scientific bodies.

EU Regulatory Framework for Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices by EUbusiness — last modified 26 September 2012, 16:16 CET

Ranging from simple sticking plasters to the most sophisticated life-supporting machines, medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices are central to our health and quality of life. To ensure that these devices serve the needs and ensure the safety of European citizens, the European Commission has proposed two Regulations which are fit for purpose, more transparent and better adapted to scientific and technological progress. The new rules aim to ensure that patients, consumers and healthcare professionals can reap the benefits of safe, effective and innovative medical devices. The medical device sector is highly innovative, particularly in Europe and has an estimated market value of around EUR 95bn.

New Biocides Regulation - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 17 July 2012, 19:05 CET

New rules on biocides enter into force today. They will bring a significant boost to the protection of human health and the environment. Biocidal products are necessary for the control of organisms that are harmful to human or animal health or that cause damage to materials. But as their properties can also pose risks to humans, animals and the environment, they need careful regulation. The new regulation on biocidal products will increase the safety of these chemical products and simplify their authorisation on the EU market, improving their free movement on the internal market.

List of permitted Health Claims on food products - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 16 May 2012, 17:38 CET

Health claims on food labelling and in advertising, for example on the role of calcium and bone health or vitamin C and the immune system, have become vital marketing tools to attract consumers' attention. EU consumers now expect accurate information on products they buy, in particular on the health claims the products may put forward. Today, a list of 222 health claims has been approved by the European Commission. This list is based on sound scientific advice, will be used throughout the EU and will also help to remove misleading claims from the market before the end of the year.

Animal Welfare Strategy 2012-2015 - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 19 January 2012, 17:32 CET

The European Commission has adopted a new four-year strategy (2012-2015) that aims to further improve the welfare of animals in the European Union.

List of permitted Health Claims for use on Food - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 07 December 2011, 23:49 CET

In a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, EU Member States supported the European Commission's draft Regulation to adopt a list of permitted health claims for use on food.

Antimicrobial Resistance - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 17 November 2011, 17:57 CET

With about 25,000 patients dying per year in the EU from infections caused by drug resistant bacteria and related costs of over 1.5 billion euros in healthcare expenses and productivity losses , antimicrobial resistance is a growing health problem in the EU. Today, on the eve of European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Commission tabled a comprehensive Action Plan on Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which unveils12 concrete actions to be implemented in close cooperation with the EU Member States.

Plant health pests and EU funding programmes to deal with them - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 16 November 2011, 17:07 CET

The European Union today earmarked 19 million euros to co-finance programmes in seven Member States aiming to combat organisms harmful to plants and to prevent them from spreading further in the Union and thus from having sever consequences on the internal market. During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Plant Health (SCPH), the Member States endorsed two Commission proposals providing the co-financing (EUR 15 and EUR 4 million respectively) of actions already undertaken in the past or planned to be executed next year.

EU move to reduce cigarette ignited fires - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 14 November 2011, 23:54 CET

Cigarettes left unattended are one of the leading causes of fatal fires in Europe. Evidence shows that the number of fatalities can be reduced by over 40% with the introduction of 'Reduced Ignition Propensity' (RIP) cigarettes. This means cigarettes which self extinguish when left unattended and which are thus less likely to cause fire. This safety measure is already in place in some countries globally (US, Canada, Australia), and, in the EU, in Finland since April 2010. As from 17th November 2011, once the new safety standards are published in the EU Official Journal all cigarettes sold in Europe will have to comply with these measures. It will be the role of the national authorities to enforce this new fire safety measure.

Food Additives - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 14 November 2011, 14:15 CET

The use of additives in food will soon become safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted by the European Commission.

Health and Consumer Programmes 2014-2020 - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 09 November 2011, 18:28 CET

The European Commission has adopted proposals for the new Health for Growth and Consumer Programmes. The two programmes aim to foster a Europe of healthy, active, informed and empowered citizens, who can contribute to economic growth. These new programmes will run from 2014-2020 with a budget of EUR 446 million for the Health for Growth Programme and EUR 197 million for the Consumer Programme. Focus will be on fewer concrete actions that offer clear EU added-value.

Report documents growing importance of the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed by EUbusiness — last modified 25 October 2011, 17:49 CET

The European Union's system for quick exchange of information on risks linked to food and feed - an invaluable tool especially at times of crisis - has further grown in importance during 2010, the system's annual report reveals.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) - guide by EFSA — last modified 05 July 2011, 23:39 CET

EFSA publishes report from its Task Force on the E. coli O104:H4 outbreaks in Germany and France in 2011 and makes further recommendations to protect consumers

"Ex-smokers are Unstoppable" campaign - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 16 June 2011, 17:03 CET

Ex-smokers are unstoppable" is the slogan of the EU-wide campaign launched today by European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli. Tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable illness in the European Union and the estimated cause of death of over 650,000 people in the European Union every year. 1 in 3 people smoke. The 3 year campaign being launched today will focus on the positive effects of stopping smoking and will use a coordinated mix of advertising, social media, events and practical tools to reach smokers and help them quit.

Traditional herbal medicines: more safety for products put on EU market by EUbusiness — last modified 29 April 2011, 23:58 CET

From 30 April 2011, EU citizens can be reassured that the traditional herbal medicines they buy in the EU are safe and effective. The expiry of the 7 year transition period set out in the 2004 Herbal Directive (2004/24/EC) means that only medicinal products which have been registered or authorised can remain on the EU market after 1 May 2011. The Herbal Directive introduces a simpler registration procedure than for other medicinal products, in respect of the long history of use of traditional herbal medicinal products. At the same time, the Directive provides the necessary guarantees of their quality, safety and efficacy.

New EU Guidelines on Colorectal Cancer Screening and Diagnosis - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 03 February 2011, 17:40 CET

On the eve of World Cancer Day, in an effort to improve the screening and diagnosis of colorectal cancer, the European Commission published the first edition of the European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Colorectal Cancer Screening and Diagnosis. Colorectal cancer is the second most common newly diagnosed cancer in the EU. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in the EU, accounting for one in seven new cancers and one in eight cancer deaths. Improving diagnosis and screening is key to reduce the mortality rates from colorectal cancer.

EU actions to fight HIV/Aids - key facts by EUbusiness — last modified 01 December 2010, 23:25 CET

To commemorate World AIDS Day, the European Parliament held a seminar on HIV testing. Early detection is vital for early treatment and increasing life expectancy, as estimates show that about one third of people infected with HIV in Europe are unaware they have it. To fight AIDS on a global scale, Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs recently announced a 10% increase in contributions to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), to which the EU is already the largest donor, providing 52% of resources. The increase would allow the Commission to contribute around €1.3 billion over the period 2002-2013.

Cloning - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 19 October 2010, 17:27 CET

The European Commission has announced that it will propose a temporary suspension of animal cloning for food production in the EU. The Commission also plans to suspend temporarily the use of cloned farm animals and the marketing of food from clones. All temporary measures will be reviewed after five years. The establishment of a traceability system for imports of reproductive materials for clones, such as semen and embryos of clones is also envisaged. The system will allow farmers and industry to set up database with the animals that would emerge from these reproductive materials.