Brussels, 14/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - With regard to health, the Irish Presidency will continue work on several important files such as serious cross-border threats to health, medicines and medical devices, and particularly the tobacco directive. It will also carefully monitor progress on reforms of national health systems.
With the European Commission finally adopting its proposal on the tobacco directive on 19 December, the Irish Presidency hopes to make maximum progress on the file with a view to an agreement with the European Parliament. A pioneer in banning smoking in public and work places, Ireland will also emphasise the harm tobacco can do to young people, believing that more can be done to protect them. In the field of public health, the Irish Presidency will try to find an agreement on the serious cross-border threats to health, on the basis of the European Commission's proposal of December 2011. The Cypriot Presidency continued the discussions at the Council on 7 December and divisions continue among the member states, with several having said that they want to keep their autonomy with regard to the planning of the preparation and intervention (see EUROPE 10747). Ireland also hopes for the adoption of an agreement with the Parliament on the “Health for Growth” programme (2014-2020) and will support the “e-health” action plan presented by the Commission on 7 December 2012 to facilitate the mass use of digital solutions in health systems in Europe. The Irish Presidency also intends to make progress on work in clinical trials and on the joint action plan on medical devices. The Commission's proposal on clinical trials was brought forward in July 2012, with the objective of making the sector more dynamic (simplifying and lightening the administrative burden). As far as medical devices are concerned, the Commission adopted two proposals for regulations on 26 September 2012, which are aimed at strengthening the rules on this following the scandal of the faulty breast implants by the French company PIP. Lastly, given the increasing importance that research and innovation in the health sector will take, the Irish Presidency will organise two high-level conferences on this in Dublin. (IL/transl.fl)