Brussels, 10/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - Outlining the Italian Presidency's priorities to the European Parliament's Environment and Health Committee on Tuesday, Italian minister Girolamo Sirchia once again laid emphasis on prevention and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle (see EUROPE of 12 June, p. 15).
Listing current areas of work, Sirchia said the first reading of the medicines package should be held on 22 September 2003 and lead to the formal adoption of common positions (which would be immediately submitted to the European Parliament). He hoped the directive on safety and quality standards for human stem cells and tissue would be formalised during the Italian Presidency. He speech was characterised by the desire to make progress in several areas where the Member States are dragging their feet. Sirchia hoped for progress, for example, in deciding on the procedure for setting the price of medicines with a view to having single price across Europe. He also wanted a common definition of the therapeutic value added of medicines, which he wanted to be taken on board with regard to refunds, with doctors and patients being provided with more information about whether the products are genuinely effective. On the subject of malaria (which kills more than 3000 children in Africa every day), Sirchia said public and private funding for malaria treatment had to be found for this disease, which does not directly affect developed countries. He was disappointed that Member States were using Treaty Article 152 (granting them “absolute sovereignty” over public health) to block the development of a genuine European health policy since epidemics do not stop at borders and required “new ways of working together”. He called for a coordinated response to bioterrorism and epidemics like the Sars outbreak, along with the rapid creation of a European centre for preventing and controlling the outbreak of transmittable diseases (to complement equivalent structures in the Member States). Another issue that should be dealt with in the near future is patient mobility, said the minister, acknowledging that given Member States' cold feet in this area, it would be difficult to make progress in any other way than by bilateral or multilateral agreements. Asked about giving the EU greater powers with regard to public health, Sirchia said he took the same view as the MEPs and Commissioner David Byrne and regretted that the people drafting the new Constitution didn't want to give health the importance it deserves. He commented that he was extremely bitter about this and that it was a mistake that would have to be paid for in the future.