EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL POLICY, HEALTH AND
CONSUMER AFFAIRS COUNCIL, NOVEMBER 2006
Letter from Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP,
Minister of State for Health Services, Department of Health to
the Chairman
I am writing to inform you of the key issues
on the agenda for the Health part of the Employment, Social Policy,
Health and Consumer Affairs Council, which will be on 30 November.
Items on the main agenda are: the Amended proposal
for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing
a second Programme of Community action in the field of Health
(2007-13); Health in All Policies; The EU strategy to reduce alcohol
related harm; International Health Regulations; and Follow-up
to the high level reflection process on patient mobility and healthcare
developments in the EU.
The Presidency are aiming for political agreement
on the Programme of Community action in the field of Health (2007-13).
The Government fully supports the revised proposal (which has
been cleared from Commons Scrutiny and is due to be considered
by the Lords on 23 November).
Ministers will be asked to adopt draft Council
Conclusions on Health in All Policies and on Alcohol Related Harm.
The UK is content with the Conclusions as drafted. There will
also be a policy debate on The EU strategy to reduce alcohol related
harm, based on the Commission's recent Communication. The UK supports
the Communication, which complements our national work in this
area.
On the International Health Regulations (IHR),
there will be an exhange of views on the Commission's Communication
on the role of the community in supporting implementation of the
IHR. The Presidency will ask Ministers to underline the need for
further clarification from the Commission of their proposals,
and discussion with Member States, before any agreement is reached
on a Community role. The UK support the Presidency's view.
The item on Follow-up to the high level reflection
process on patient mobility is intended to give Ministers a chance
to exchange views on the work of the Commission's High Level Group
on Health Services and Medical Care. The UK supports the Group's
work, and considers it an important forum for non-legislative
collaboration between health systems.
Under any other business, there will be progress
reports on: the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament
and of the Council amending Council Directives 90/385/EEC and
93/42/EEC and Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and
the Council as regards the review of the medical device directives;
and the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and
of the Council on advanced therapy medicinal products and amending
Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation (EC) No 726/2004.
There will be information from the Commission
on the Pharmaceutical Forum (part of the G10 strategy on pharmaceuticals);
on actions to implement the Commission communication on combating
HIV/AIDS; and on the consultation on the Green Paper on Mental
Health. There will be information from the Presidency on their
July Ministerial informal on "Health in the World of Work"
and joint information from the Commission and the Presidency on
Pandemic Influenza.
On the eve of the Council, the Commissioner
for Health and Consumer Protection, Markos Kyprianou, will host
an initial exchange of views with Health Ministers on the Communication
from the Commission regarding Community action on health services.
15 November 2006
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