Brussels, 25/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Danish Presidency came to present its health priorities to the MEPs of the committee on the environment, public health and food safety of the European Parliament. The minister responsible, Astrid Krag, who was unavailable, left the floor to her colleague Pia Olsen Dyhr, the minister for external trade and investment.
The job of the Danish Presidency with regard to health will be a hard one, due to the high number of proposals recently published by the European Commission on healthcare issues, Olsen Dyhr stated. The Presidency has nonetheless created three separate broad areas, in which it hopes to make progress: 1) innovation, with the “Smart health - Better lives” initiative. Denmark wishes to improve the innovation framework on healthcare, in order to reinforce the European Union's position with regard to health care on the global scene. Discussions must also be started on the revision of the directive on medical devices, to seek a balance between patients' health and elements in favour of innovation; 2) chronic illnesses: these constitute a challenge to health in Europe, with an ageing population which is increasingly affected by chronic diseases. Denmark hopes to develop the debate on access to medicines and patient independence, to allow them to manage their illness personally in the best possible environment. From this viewpoint, new technologies represent great hope for increased patient autonomy, with less frequent recourse to hospital services; 3) resistance to antibiotics: this is a cross-border problem in the European Union, which must step up its collaboration with the other countries of the world. Cooperation must also be stepped up between human and veterinary medicine, in order to carry out a more effective fight against resistance to antibiotics. Awareness-raising work is required, in order to prevent overconsumption of antibiotics. The Danish Presidency wants to adopt conclusions at the Council and obtain political support on this issue.
The Danish Presidency also hopes to continue discussions on several other proposals of the Commission. Regarding the action plan for health care 2014-2020, the Danish Presidency will continue the work started by the Polish Presidency, which held an initial exchange of views on the issue. This debate concluded that there is a need to reduce the number of objectives, whilst developing those retained in greater depth. The Danish minister for health also wishes to tackle contagious diseases, in order to achieve better prevention of crises, in relation to the Commission's proposal on the subject. Denmark also hopes to continue the debate on the monitoring and authorisation of medicines. As regards information for patients, for medical prescriptions, the Presidency also wishes to achieve consensus, with differences of opinion existing between the member states. Lastly, the minister also hopes to be able to discuss price transparency, the objective of which is single and transparent access to medicines for patients.
A number of questions have emerged on the safety of medical devices, following the breast implant scandal, in the debate held at the Parliament the day before (see below). MEPs Peter Liese (EPP, Germany), Linda McAvan (S&D, UK), Corinne Lepage (ADLE, France), Miroslav Mikolásik (EPP, Slovakia) and Sophie Auconie (EPP, France) urged the Danish Presidency to hold an in-depth debate on the subject. Although the MEPs by and large approved the choices of the Danish Presidency for its priorities, a number of them raised other important issues which they would like to see tackled under the Danish Presidency. These included the impact of chemicals on health, and endocrine disrupters (Elena Oana Antonescu (EPP, Romania), Dan Jorgensen (S&D, Denmark), Asa Westlund (S&D, Sweden), Kriton Arsenis (S&D, Greece), Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France), mental health (Nessa Childers, S&D, Ireland), the fight against obesity (Glenis Willmott (S&D, UK), protection of non-smokers (Miroslav Mikolásik), vaccines (Karin Kadenbach (S&D, Austria), nuisances linked to electromagnetic waves (Michèle Rivasi). Olsen Dyhr gave them a full hearing, but stressed the obligation on the Presidency to stick to its limited objectives.
Breast implants: MEPs want tougher controls and improved traceability
The scandal of defective breast implants gave rise to a lively debate within the committee on the environment, health and food safety of the European Parliament, on Tuesday 24 January. The MEPs and representatives of the European Commission stated their view that medical devices, such as silicone breast implants, should, in future, be subject to tougher controls and improved traceability.
The Commission said that it was in the process of carrying out a “stress test” on a proposed update to European legislation on medical devices, which is to be published in March. The aim of this test is to find out whether the new legislation will be able to plug the gaps revealed by reports, which state that the implant manufacturer, PIP, had used lower quality silicone for the implants.
MEP Linda McAvan paid tribute to the speed with which the Commission is dealing with the issue and how seriously it is taking it, stressing the need for reinforced cooperation within the EU and internationally. Peter Liese backed “unannounced” spot checks and better traceability along the entire length of the supply chain. Christian Davies (ADLE, UK) was concerned about opportunities for national authorities to intervene once an EC label has been approved. The Commission replied that France was entitled to block the use of the implants, on the grounds of a possible link with cancer.
Michèle Rivasi regretted that more surgeons had not reported cases of burst implants and said that national agencies should respond more quickly in the event of a problem. Lastly, though the Commission has indicated that it did not intend to propose a system of authorisation prior to the marketing of medical devices, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt (S&D, Germany) said that this would be an appropriate solution for certain types of device. (IL/transl.fl)