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Public Health Policy in the EU

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

EU strikes deal for safer medical devices 28 May 2016, 00:19 CET
Safer medical devices and fast patient access to innovative devices are the aim of a provisional deal on new rules for medical devices and in vitro diagnostic products reached by the EU Council and Parliament Wednesday.

New EU rules on tobacco target young smokers 24 May 2016, 16:55 CET
New rules for tobacco products sold in the EU came into force Friday, aiming to reduce the number of smokers, especially among young people, ensuring all are fully aware of the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Smoking in the EU - revised tobacco directive in force 19 May 2016, 21:36 CET
From 20 May new European legislation is in place to make smoking and cigarettes less attractive, especially among young people.

EU again delays decision on glyphosate renewal 20 May 2016, 17:32 CET
The European Commission again postponed a vote on whether to renew the licence for the controversial herbicide glyphosate on Thursday, despite a WHO warning about a link to cancer.

Heart attacks or strokes kill 1 in 5 in EU 10 May 2016, 13:17 CET
Heart attacks (around 644,000 deaths) and strokes (almost 433,000) - slightly more than 1 in 5 - were the cause of death for almost 1.1 million people in the European Union in 2013, according to Eurostat figures.

Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods: EFSA report 06 May 2016, 11:45 CET
Glycerol-based process contaminants found in palm oil, but also in other vegetable oils, margarines and some processed foods, raise potential health concerns for average consumers of these foods in all young age groups, and for high consumers in all age groups.

MEPs back restrictions on glyphosate herbicide 14 April 2016, 17:30 CET
Members of the European Parliament called Wednesday for a ban on all uses of glyphosate-based herbicides in private and public green areas, including spraying in and around public parks, playgrounds and gardens.

Transmissible animal diseases - rules update 10 March 2016, 18:06 CET
The European Parliament gave its endorsement on 8 March to measures to prevent and halt outbreaks of animal diseases such as avian flu or foot and mouth disease, informally agreed by MEPs and the EU Council of Ministers in June 2015. The draft EU law, on diseases that are transmissible among animals, and potentially to humans too, puts fresh emphasis on prevention and should help professionals to keep pace with scientific progress.

European Medical Corps 15 February 2016, 17:25 CET
The European Union has set up a European Medical Corps (EMC) through which teams and equipment from the EU Member States can be rapidly deployed.

Outbreak of Zika Virus Disease 04 February 2016, 17:18 CET
Latest developments in the EU regarding the outbreak of Zika Virus Disease, and how it is being managed in Europe. Information for travellers and EU residents in affected areas.

Transmissible animal diseases: informal deal 04 June 2015, 13:39 CET
Measures to prevent and treat animal diseases such as avian flu or African swine fever were informally agreed by MEPs, the EU's Latvian Presidency and the European Commission on1 June. The draft EU law, on diseases that are transmissible among animals and potentially to humans too, will merge and update many scattered items of old legislation, so as to help prevent and halt new outbreaks and keep pace with scientific progress.

GMOs in the EU - review of decision-making process 22 April 2015, 17:31 CET
The European Commission presented on 22 April the outcome of its review of the decision-making process for the authorisation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as food and feed.

EU response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa 03 March 2015, 17:30 CET
West Africa is facing the largest and most complex Ebola epidemic on record. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the most affected countries. Over 22 900 people have been infected, more than 9 200 of whom have died. The European Union has been active in the response to the Ebola emergency from the start. It has mobilised all available political, financial and scientific resources to help contain, control, treat and ultimately defeat Ebola. In October 2014 the European Council appointed Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, as EU Ebola Coordinator.

Life expectancy in the EU still on the rise: OECD - EU report "Health at a Glance: Europe 2014" 03 December 2014, 18:27 CET
The European Commission and the OECD on 3 December unveiled a report entitled Health at a Glance: Europe 2014 on the comparative data on health and health systems covering all 28 EU Member States.

Causes of death in the EU28 in 2011 - 1 in 4 deaths caused by cancer in the EU28 - Lung cancer main fatal cancer 25 November 2014, 22:20 CET
In the EU28 in 2011, cancer was the cause of death for 1,281 million persons, responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths (26.3%). Over the past ten years, while the total number of deaths slightly decreased (-0.5%), the number of deaths due to cancer increased by 6.3% (from 1.206 million in 2002 to 1.281 million in 2011), at a slightly higher pace for females (+6.6%) than for males (+6.0%). However, the number of deaths due to cancer remained higher in 2011 among the male population (718,000 deaths due to cancer) than among the female population (563,000). In 2011, cancer represented 37.1% of all causes of death for the EU28 population aged less than 65, while this level was only 23.8% for the older population (those aged 65 years and over).

Avian Influenza in The Netherlands and the UK 18 November 2014, 23:20 CET
The European Commission adopted on 17 November two emergency safeguard Decisions addressed to The Netherlands and the UK that define the areas that have been placed under stringent veterinary restrictions by those Member States, and where measures according to EU legislation are applied. The measures aim at quickly bringing the disease under control and at preventing the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza within the affected Member States, to other Member States and to third countries while minimising the disturbance to trade.

Ebola and health implications for the EU 15 October 2014, 22:25 CET
The current Ebola outbreak affecting the West Africa region is the worst such outbreak on record. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, calling for a coordinated international response. As of 10 October, there have been more than 8399 reported cases, including 4033 deaths from the disease (Source: WHO). To date, 10 patients have been repatriated to the EU/EEA with confirmed or suspected Ebola and the first secondary case of Ebola in Europe has been confirmed on 6 October.

Endocrine Disruptors: Commission Communication 07 November 2018, 18:21 CET
The European Commission adopted on 7 November a Communication outlining its strategy to address the problem of endocrine disruptors, with the aim of protecting consumers against harmful chemicals which change our hormonal system.

New restrictions on use of preservatives in cosmetic products 29 September 2014, 21:39 CET
The European Commission on 29 September further strengthened the protection of consumers, in particular babies and young children. It adopted two measures restricting the use of three preservatives in cosmetic products.

Veterinary medicines and medicated feed proposals 10 September 2014, 16:59 CET
The European Commission adopted on 10 September proposals on veterinary medicines and medicated feed, with the aim of improving animal health and public health, as well as the internal market. The proposal on veterinary medicinal products aims in particular to make more medicines available in the EU to treat and prevent diseases in animals. The proposal on the modernisation of medicated feed legislation now includes feed for pets in its scope. The idea is to ensure the appropriate standard of product quality and safety in the EU, whilst at the same time paving the way for better treatments for diseased animals.

Ebola outbreak in West Africa - EU response 08 September 2014, 14:16 CET
The European Commission announced on 5 September EUR 140m of funding for the countries currently affected by the Ebola virus in West Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. EUR 38 million of the new package is specifically designed to help those governments bolster their health services (for example through reinforcing treatment centres or support for health workers), both during the crisis and in the recovery phase. It will also provide support in the areas of food security, water and sanitation, which are essential in terms of safeguarding the health of the population.

EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020 07 June 2014, 12:14 CET
The European Commission presented on 6 June a new Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014 – 2020, with the aim of better protecting the more than 217 million workers in the EU from work-related accidents and diseases. The new framework identifies key challenges and strategic objectives for health and safety at work and presents key actions and instruments to address these. It aims to ensure that the EU continues to play a leading role in the promotion of high standards for working conditions both within Europe and internationally.

Joint purchasing of vaccines and medicines 10 April 2014, 22:07 CET
The European Commission has approved a Joint Procurement Agreement, which will enable all EU countries to procure pandemic vaccines and other medical countermeasures as a group, rather than individually.

New rules for tobacco products 26 February 2014, 18:27 CET
The European Parliament on 26 February approved a revised EU Tobacco Products Directive. This new law strengthens the rules on how tobacco products are manufactured, produced and presented in the EU, and introduces rules for certain tobacco-related products. This Memo seeks to answer questions on what exactly will change once the revised Directive enters into force.

Third Health Programme 2014-2020 26 February 2014, 18:15 CET
The European Parliament on 26 February approved the Third Health Programme 2014-2020. The Programme aims to support Member States' action to improve people’s health and reduce health inequalities, by promoting health, encouraging innovation in health, increasing the sustainability of health systems and protecting EU citizens from serious cross-border health threats.