Health Minister Lydia Mutsch yesterday presented the Luxembourg Presidency's priorities in the field of public health, medicine and medical devices and food safety before the Committee for Environment, Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament in Brussels.
The main aim of the Luxemburg Presidency in this domain was cited as improving the health of European citizens, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy, whilst maintaining the sustainability of health systems. Lydia Mutsch explained that it is important that the patient is not forgotten in the implementation of the ambitious agenda of the new Commission, stating "This is why health will be placed under the indication of the patient and innovation."
In the presentation of the priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency, the Minister particularly emphasised the topics of medical devices, personalised medicine, dementia, the new alcohol strategy and certain projects relating to healthy safety in the food industry such as the official control of the food chain, cloning and GMOs.
At the traditional question and answer session, MPs questioned the intentions of the Luxembourg Presidency, in particular with regards to medical devices, access to innovative medicines, the application of the Directive on cross-border healthcare, antimicrobial resistance and endocrine disrupters.
Medical Devices
The Minister cited the review on the acquis of medical devices as a topic to which the Luxembourg Presidency inteded to devote its maximum attention.
"We will use every effort to facilitate the establishment of a sound regulatory framework, allowing European citizens quick access to safe, quality products while promoting an innovative European market," said Lydia Mutsch.
The review of the acquis is significant in the aftermath of the PIP breast implants and ASR hip implants scandals of 2010 and 2012.
Access to medicines
The Presidency stated that it will be heavily involved in the examination of access to medicines, following the extensive media coverage of the expensive new treatment for Hepatitis C. Minister Mutsch claimed that the subject would be tackled with a bifold approach: through better integration of personalised medicine into health systems, and through an integrated approach to medical access which will be developed for the period 2015-17 by the Council with the support of the Commission.
Directive on cross-border healthcare
The Luxembourg Presidency will also reportedly take stock of the implementation of the Directive on cross-border healthcare. Two years after the transposition deadline, a first review of the implementation of the Directive will take place in order to examine the impact on patient mobility.
Antimicrobial resistance
Two conferences will address this subject, still valid, during the Luxembourg Presidency: one dedicated to the veterinary panel, the other to human health, in accordance with the "one Health" approach in supporting the development a renewed EU action plan on antimicrobial resistance.
Endocrine disrupters
The Health Minister expressed the hope that after the finalisation of the impact assessment, the Commission will finally adopt the list of scientific criteria for identifying endocrine disrupters.
GMO authorisation
The Minister continued by saying that the Luxembourg Presidency will continue to follow the evolution of the debates on this subject in Parliament, which expressed a negative reaction during the committee vote. The outcome of the plenary vote in October will decide the further work to be done by the Council in this matter.
After the hearing, the Health Minister met Luxembourg MEPs, in the presence of ministers Fernand Etgen and Etienne Schneider.
Photo by European Parliamen (Minister of Health Lydia Mutsch)
