Brussels, 22/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Speaking before the environment committee (ENVI) of the European Parliament on Tuesday 21 January, the Latvian Health Minister, Guntis Belevics, expressed his doubts as to the possibility of concluding the work on the draft regulations on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, a key priority of the Latvian Presidency. It hopes to reach a political agreement at the Health Council of 19 June, but “we will undoubtedly fail to do so”, the Minister lamented, because there are still “many grey areas”. “But we will work hard on it (…) and with a great deal of honesty”, he pledged.
Belevics presented Latvia's other priorities: 1) tackling alcohol abuse, which will be the subject of the informal meeting of health ministers in Riga. Alcohol consumption in the EU remains high and discussions are needed on the subject, following the end of the last European alcohol abuse strategy (2006-2012), in the framework of the WHO objective of reducing global alcohol consumption by 10%; 2) developing healthy lifestyles, with an emphasis on preventative work among children and teenagers. This subject is related to the dangers of a diet featuring too much trans-fat and salt. Families wishing to cut their spending in times of crisis are increasingly turning to cheap food; 3) fighting the spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a disease which is on the up in some of the poorer member states, such as Bulgaria and Romania, but is spreading due to the movement of people; 4) setting in place a health care system focusing on patients, with the support of new technologies (“e-health”). An “e-health” week will be held. The prophylaxis of cancer, early diagnostics, quality healthcare and training for nurses are other items on the agenda.
Many MEPs are frustrated at the Council's slow progress on medical devices. By the end of the Latvian Presidency, it will be three years since the proposal was made, Peter Liese (EPP, Germany) pointed out. It's a “scandal” that these subjects have been put off for such a long time, added Matthias Groote (S&D, Germany). Katerina Konecna (GUE, Czech Republic), Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA, Denmark) and Glenis Willmott (S&D, UK) also expressed their disappointment. Many questions were also raised regarding the price of medicines: José Inácio Faria (ALDE, Portugal) called for a debate on reducing prices, in which he was supported by Konecna, Françoise Grossetête (EPP, France), Soledad Cabezón Ruiz (S&D, Spain), Cristian-Silviu Busoi (EPP, Romania) and Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France). Rivasi argued in favour of a meeting of the member states to bring pressure to bear on the industry, which, she argues, sets its prices excessively high. Other questions related to antibiotic resistance (Margrete Auken and Piernicola Pedicini, EFDD, Italy) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (Françoise Grossetête). (IL)