Brussels, 20/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU health ministers are meeting in Riga on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 April for an informal meeting devoted to two major concerns for the public health of European citizens: alcohol abuse (discussed on 20 April) and poor diet (for discussion on 21 April). Also taking part were the delegations from the European Economic Area (EEA) and candidate countries. Over lunch on 20 April, ministers were due to discuss new guidelines to be adopted for European health policy to address the challenges faced.
“This is an excellent opportunity to discuss the successes recorded in the area of health, to take new directions and to discuss the role of the European Union in the health sector”, Latvian Health Minister Guntis Belevics told the press before the meeting (our translation). He recalled that a conference on nutrition for children and young people had been held in Riga on 23-24 February and made clear his intention of informing the ministers present of the conclusions of that conference to provide a springboard for the debate on Tuesday.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab also attended the ministerial meeting, her second during the period of the Latvian presidency, after the high-level conference on tuberculosis (see EUROPE 11287). She welcomed the decision of the Latvian Presidency to focus on the above two issues, underlining that, just like tackling tuberculosis, addressing alcohol abuse and diets that are harmful to health require a European action plan, the cooperation of the member states and inter-sectoral analysis. “These issues are very important for the public health of European Citizens”, she said on her way into the meeting (our translation).
The issue for debate on Monday 20 April was alcohol abuse. Ministers were due to debate how appropriate a new alcohol strategy would be, at a time when the Commission has yet to draft a proposal updating the 2006 strategy, much to the annoyance of the European Parliament which, on 1 April, adopted a resolution calling for just such a course of action (see EUROPE 11287). On Tuesday 21 April, ministers are due to discuss diet, with rates of obese and overweight persons rising sharply across Europe. (Isabelle Lamberty)