Select Committee on European Scrutiny Third Report


Appendix 1: report on Council meeting


When the House is sitting, we table a written Question on the day of each meeting of the Council of Ministers asking for a report on the Council meeting and on the activities of UK Ministers in it. However, for Council meetings taking place when the House is in recess we ask Departments to write to us instead. A delayed reply concerning a meeting during the whitsun recess is published below. A letter relating to the first day of this council meeting can be found in the European Scrutiny Committee's 23rd Report of 2003-04.

Letter from the Minister of State for Health (Rt Hon John Hutton, MP) to the Chairman of the Committee

EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL POLICY, HEALTH AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS (ESPHCA) COUNCIL, 1-2 JUNE LUXEMBOURG.

I attended the second day of the 1-2 June Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Luxembourg, which dealt with health issues. As is customary a letter was drafted to you updating you on the discussions and decisions made at the Council. However due to an administrative error this letter was not sent out. I apologise for the delay in getting this information to you and enclose a brief summary of the Council.

The major discussions of the day focused on Patient Mobility. The Commission felt its Communication represented a major step forward in addressing Member States' concerns about healthcare developments in Europe, having established a High Level Group on Health Care and Medical Services, in response to Council's calls for a permanent mechanism. I intervened to stress the need to respect fully national competence for the organisation and delivery of its health care system, and was supported by others. Member States agreed that a Council group was the most appropriate forum to take this forward. Council therefore stated its intention to, via its Conclusions, to establish a permanent mechanism that reported to Council on issues relating to patient mobility and health care developments and addressed the impact of the EU on health care systems. However, there was no consensus on the form of such a Council group. The Conclusions, which support the permanent mechanism reporting directly to Council on patient mobility and the impact of the EU on health care systems, were adopted without revision.

We adopted Conclusions on Promoting Heart Health, following presentations by the Presidency and the Commission which stressed that effective prevention of certain lifestyle behaviours such as tobacco use, and the promotion of others such as healthy diets and physical activity were key to addressing the heavy burden posed by heart disease.

The Presidency and the Commission both highlighted the benefits of improved use of e-health resources. The Commission presented a Communication on E-Health - Making Health Care Better For European Citizens and Council Conclusions E-Health were adopted without debate.

Council Conclusions on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Planning were adopted without debate. This followed comments by the Presidency that the recent SARS and avian influenza outbreaks had acted as a wake up call to the future dangers of pandemics, and the need for the Community to be prepared to respond effectively to such threats. A potential role for the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control would be considered once it become operational. The Presidency emphasised that Member States' competencies would be respected at all times.

Council Conclusions on the WHO International Health Regulations and Council Conclusions on Childhood Asthma were both adopted without debate.

During discussions on Council Conclusions on Reduction of Alcohol-Related Damage among young people, the Commission highlighted several of the areas that would feature in its alcohol strategy, including excise duty, illicit trade, fraud, communications, harmful consumption and surveillance. The Conclusions were adopted without further debate.

I supported all the items that were adopted, although there were no formal votes.

The Commission provided information on progress on Proposals for Regulations on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Food, and The Addition of Certain Minerals and of Certain Other Substances to Food.

Under any other Business the Commission reported that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control would be operational in May 2005. They outlined the themes for the European Health Strategy and stated that final proposals are in development. They also informed Council that an action plan the Environment & Health strategy was due to be published shortly and this would form its contribution to the forthcoming pan-European Minister Conference in Budapest, 23-25 June.

5 January 2005


 
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