In a written statement adopted on Monday 23 January, health care organisations reiterate their message that the European Union should place health and equality in health at the heart of their “pillar of social rights”.
The statement was drafted by the EuroHealthNet platform during the conference on the pillar on social rights (see other article). It urges the European institutions and member states, “to recognise the central role that health and health equity play in building strong and sustainable social market economies and to stop thinking of health and well-being as a ‘small’ issue amongst EU policy priorities”. It is co-signed by 23 organisations including the EAPN, ECCF, EKHA, EPF, EPHA, EUFAMI, EUPHA, PICUM etc.
The statement supports the following objectives: (1) making equality in health a strategic objective; (2) enhancing and facilitating cooperation between different sectors to provide greater social protection and sustainable development; (3) ensuring universal access to basic health care services for all; and (4) investing in the promotion of health, disease prevention and the training of health care providers.
Support for minimum unit pricing for alcohol
More surprisingly, the document again puts forward the idea of minimum unit pricing for alcohol (MUP), supported by Scotland and Ireland, despite a ruling against this made by the European Court of Justice in December 2015 (see EUROPE 11460). It should be pointed out that EU law in principle forbids minimum unit prices for alcohol because this could distort trade within the single market, unless public health is in danger.
Statement: http://bit.ly/2jhj11S (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)