Brussels, 08/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - In health, the Latvian Presidency is hoping a general approach will be reached on the two draft regulations, on medical devices and on in vitro diagnostic medical devices, something that has been on the Council table for two and a half years with consensus among the member states impossible to find.
The Italian Presidency was looking to find agreement but had to concede defeat because of a number of issues on which no common response was found at the last Health Council on 1 December 2014 (see EUROPE 11208). The Latvian Presidency is hoping to be granted a Council mandate in the coming months to open talks with the European Parliament. “A robust, transparent and sustainable regulatory framework to support innovation and the competitiveness of the medical device industry and to allow rapid and cost-efficient market access for innovative medical devices is necessary for the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals alike”, states the Presidency in its work programme.
In general, the Presidency will focus on the individual, promoting healthy lifestyles and empowering people to take greater control over their own health. The quality of healthcare will also be a priority area. Other focuses of attention will be healthcare innovation, information sharing among the member states and protection of patients' medical data. Obesity, the role of modern technologies and more innovative approaches are also matters on the agenda. The Presidency says, too, that it will follow the work of the Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action and that it plans to publish a scoping paper on the vision of future action in the area of alcohol policy. Addressing alcohol abuse and nutrition will be the central issues at the informal meeting of health ministers in Riga in mid-April. Antimicrobial resistance will also be discussed over the course of the next six months, in particular, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. (IL)