Brussels, 01/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - The commissioner-designate for health and food safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, has promised to give greater importance to the human factor and well-being of European citizens in the policies within his remit, if he is confirmed as commissioner. “I am for social justice, democracy and social prosperity”, the former surgeon told the European Parliament's ENVI committee during his hearing on Tuesday 30 September (a committee chaired by Giovanni La Via - EPP, Italy). In firm control of the issues in his portfolio, Andriukaitis gave full answers to the questions asked of him, and gave assurances that he would implement everything to help the member states invest so as to be able to set up innovative and effective healthcare systems - which are an essential cornerstone for a social market economy.
Prevention, promotion and protection for all will be the three objectives pursued by Andriukaitis during his mandate. Prevention is crucial for counteracting the onset and development of diseases. Promotion of a healthy lifestyle is crucial for remaining in good health. And the protection of citizens against any food or health crisis must be guaranteed. Stemming cross-border threats to health swiftly, ensuring fairness for citizens as regards access to health care and medicine, protecting citizens against the devastation of contagious diseases, implementing cross-border healthcare rules quickly, ensuring the correct transposition of the tobacco products directive - these are some of the tasks Andriukaitis promised to carry out successfully over the course of his mandate. No lowering of food safety standards, decisions based on science, respect for the principle of subsidiarity when it comes to GMO cultivation, restoring the public's trust in EFSA's work - these were Andriukaitis' guiding principles on the food safety section of his portfolio.
European Medicines Agency. Several MEPs were concerned at seeing the EMA move to the responsibility of the commissioner for industry. “Not focusing on patients but on the profits of the pharmaceutical industry is dangerous!” said Boleslaw Grzegorz Piecha (ECR, Poland). “How can you have any influence if this file is not up to you?” asked Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA, Denmark). “Elzbieta Beinkowska [the commissioner-designate for industry] and I will take the decisions together. I will find agreements so that access to good and cheap medicines remains the priority”, Andriukaitis assured.
Endocrine disruptors. Pressed by Julie Girling (ECR, UK) and Angélique Delahaye (EPP, France) to state his intentions on the list of scientific criteria to be defined in order to identify these substances, Andriukaitis warned against “hasty conclusion” and supported using all the scientific evidence to the best. “We already have criteria. I will relaunch this issue. The provisional criteria must be replaced by definitive criteria as soon as possible in order to be able to make an assessment on the effect on humans”, he said. However, he did not want to make any promises at this stage on taking exposure into account.
Antimicrobial resistance. In the view of Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, Sweden), the threat of this is very serious. Andriukaitis replied to her that strict standards had to be respected on the use of antibiotics and that all the measures taken in the member states had to be assessed.
Cancer. Will the fight against cancer be one of your priorities, asked Pavel Poc (S&D, Czech Republic). In Andriukaitis' view, prevention is crucial in fighting cancer. He advocated more proactive behaviour from citizens towards screening, with the development of information systems that reach citizens directly.
Access to innovative medicines/novel therapies. Cristian-Silviu Busoi (EPP, Romania) deplored the unequal access for citizens to novel therapies. Innovation has a cost and good methodology is needed to assess the innovations, said Andriukaitis. In his view, more effective regulation should be considered to lower the price of generic medicines so as then to invest the money that has been saved in medical research and innovation.
E-health. New technology offers enormous potential for the health sector, said Andriukaitis, in response to a question from Jens Gieseke (EPP, Germany). Some member states already have excellent e-health practices and there should be cooperation at this level, Andriukaitis believed.
Human tissues and cells/Stem cell research. Ethical questions on medical and scientific research were posed by Peter Liese (EPP, Germany) and Miroslav Mikolasik (EPP, Slovakia). The greatest care must be ensured in this area, said Andriukaitis - who would like to see a round table organised on the issue. For the use of tissues and cells, the guiding principle should be not to pursue commercial objectives or financial interests.
A la carte GMO cultivation. To Frédérique Ries (ALDE, Belgium), who was anxious to know how Andriukaitis intends to accelerate the decision-making process in the next six months, he replied that, if he is confirmed as commissioner, he will take measures immediately to identify the arrangements at the origin of the conflict with member states and not clash with them. “The Commission will work right from the first day by respecting the principle of subsidiarity and scientific recommendations, and by taking the Parliament's position into account”, he assured, saying that he was “open to any proposal”. Gilles Pargneaux (S&D, France), asked Andriukaitis if he thought it was necessary to strengthen the common position of the Council, particularly to firm up the list of reasons for imposing a ban more, so as to avoid contamination, and to plan a compensation system for farmers with contaminated crops, and to strengthen EFSA's scientific assessment. On this, again, Andriukaitis returned to subsidiarity. For the cross-border aspects, “I need concrete analyses from scientists”, he said. Insisting on the importance of EFSA's work, he believed it was necessary to “create trust in public authorities”. “This mistrust as regards science can be found in many areas. I will do everything for transparency and standards to be higher”, he said.
TTIP. In response to the fears of Katarina Konecna (GUE/NGL, Czech Republic) and Bart Staes (Greens/EFA, Belgium) on seeing the transatlantic free-trade agreement lower the EU's very high level of standards on food safety, Andriukaitis was clear - he will “not make compromises”. There will be no compromises either on hormone-injected beef, chlorine-treated chicken, lactic acid or meat from cloned animals. And the best way is not to give in, he said. “I have sworn the Hippocratic Oath. Never will I deviate from it”, he said. Similarly, Andriukaitis will not compromise on quality and safety in the European process for marketing medicines. “No! European safety standards will not be lowered!” he said.
To Peter Liese, who asked him about the lack of any arrangement on labelling meat from cloned animals and on the exclusion of the European Parliament from co-decision in the EU's draft legislation, Andriukaitis did not give a precise response, nor did he want to comment on the relevance of withdrawing this proposal. Any promise would be premature, in his opinion. He did not want to promise anything to Massimo Paolucci (S&D, Italy) either, as to the possibility of a legislative initiative on sustainable food, but he gave assurances that he will focus on the communication on this issue, which has been blocked for months. The same goes for nutrient profiles, the subject of an agreement with the Council in 2006, that he “commits to examining”. (AN/IL)