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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