The launch of the Estonian Presidency is now well underway: it will open the informal Health Ministers’ meeting on Thursday 20 July, with a discussion on the free movement of data. The following day will include EU28 discussions about European policy on alcohol.
The European Commission is currently preparing a legislative initiative on the free movement of data (see other article). On a number of occasions, it has indicated that it would be prepared to consider derogations to this principle in certain areas, including public health, on the condition that they are indeed proportionate.
The discussion may therefore cover these restrictions, as well as identify good practices existing in the EU. Three ministerial presentations are expected: a general presentation from Austria, another on patient responsibility and data access from the Netherlands and a final one by Hungary, on the application of big data in health care planning.
Alcohol. The following day, Health Ministers will discuss European Union action on alcohol. They will be requested to identify the challenges and risks, as well as work out what should be the next measures to take at a European level for resolving cross-border issues related to alcohol. It is quite certain that they will discuss the lack of the European Commission response to their 2015 appeal for a renewed alcohol strategy.
They are also expected to provide an update on the appeal made by the European Commission to the industry this year to provide comprehensive labelling of the ingredients and nutritional information in all alcoholic drinks. A representative from the World Health Organisation’s European regional office, Gauden Galea, will take part in the meeting.
The ministers of the current "trio" of the Council presidencies (Estonia, Bulgaria and Austria) will also sign a declaration on gender equality at the end of the day on Wednesday which will set their policy on this issue for the next 18 months.
Balance between private and professional life. On Wednesday, Ministers will also be invited to examine the initiative recently presented by the Commission on a work-life balance (see EUROPE 11775). Two sessions will focus on this issue. The first will focus on the analysis according to different family models (conventional, untraditional, with professional adaptations). In this context, the Estonian Presidency intends to examine the measures put in place in the different member states and will focus on the adaptations according to the different family types and work. It will also seek to work out whether additional measures are necessary.
The second session, “Who needs a work-life balance?” will focus on discrimination related to gender. In this connection, the Presidency of the Council will attempt to determine what groups of workers require additional flexibility in the area of a work-life balance. It will also concentrate on the mechanisms relating to parental leave and their appropriateness with societal developments, for example, the expansion in married couples of the same gender and stepfamilies. The Estonian Presidency will, above all, carry out a reflection with member states about how to reconcile the needs of workers and employers. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean and Pascal Hansens)