Brussels, 29/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - Italian Minister for Health, Beatrice Lorenzin presented the priorities of the Italian Presidency on Wednesday 23 July to the EP's environment and health committee. She said that the Italian Presidency would attempt to reach a compromise with the European Parliament on rules relating to medical devices and in vitro diagnosis medical devices. The Italian Presidency is planning a full programme for health and will tackle a great many issues over the six-month period of its presidency. It will prioritise prevention, vaccination, the fight against chronic diseases and age-related degenerative illnesses. A number of other themes will be tackled: tumour prevention, promoting healthy lifestyles, treating pain and palliative care, women's health, digital health, young people's mental health, antimicrobial resistance, therapeutic innovation and the prohibitive prices of new medicines.
The Council is expected to adopt a common position by the end of the autumn on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic devices, as sought by member states at the most recent Healthcare Council on 20 June, the EP having already submitted its recommendations on these dossiers, stated Lorenzin. In response to a question put to her by Matthias Groote (Germany) on behalf of the S&D Group, she said: “The dossier is complex. There are a lot of differing opinions… Italy has approached all the necessary technical groups and questionnaires have been sent to all the member states. We will receive the first responses by the end of the autumn and… we will work towards achieving a compromise in order to develop a consolidated text”. Groote was concerned by the sluggish pace with which the Council has been tackling the dossier, while the EP would already like to begin the second reading. In reply to Margrete Auken (Denmark), on behalf of the Greens/EFA and who would like to ensure that no carcinogenic or mutagenic products or products that affect reproductive health are allowed in medical devices, the minister confirmed that these substances could not be found in these devices and that this question would be further developed in September. The coordinator of the EPP Group, Alojz Peterle (Slovenia) was delighted with the emphasis the Italian Presidency promised to put on prevention, stating that “it is important to highlight the need for a healthy lifestyle and guarantee continuity of measures”. He also said the EP could do more in this field, without using subsidiarity as an excuse. He also requested that the percentage of the budget devoted to prevention in member states be increased from the current 3% average to 5% and he sought Council backing for health to be included in the European Semester. The minister acknowledged that the 3% of the budget allocated to health was clearly insufficient and prevention was crucial to ensuring the sustainability of health care systems and that the EU, “still had a lot to do to ensure that it spoke with a single voice”. Highlighting the work begun under the French presidency in 2008 in the field of degenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimers, Frédérique Ries (Belgium) from the ALDE Group advocated continuity on this dossier. She also called for obesity-related challenges to be addressed, given that the Italian Presidency intends to look at healthy lifestyles and nutrition. This will be done as part of the work the Italian Presidency carries out in the prevention field, promised Lorenzin. With regard to age-related degenerative diseases, guidelines and action plans are planned, stated the minister. Speaking on behalf of the GUE, Eleonora Forenza (Italy) highlighted the specific issue of abortion and the fact that abortion rights had come under threat throughout Europe, despite Italy's including women's health in the points on its agenda. Piernicola Pedicini spoke on behalf of the EFDD Group and called on the Council to promote more environmentally friendly policies, as well as those on waste management, in order to prevent the emergence of pollution-related diseases, particularly cancer. Italy and the EU should have a register on tumours and implement the “polluter pays” principle, argued Pedicini. Both Groote and Auken raised questions relating to health in the TTIP negotiations. The EU will defend the high quality standards of its pharmaceutical products that are internationally recognised and this will not be negotiable, asserted Lorenzin. (IL)