04/09/2006
Finland takes rotating EU presidency
Finland took over the rotating Presidency of the European Union on 1 July 2006. The main theme of the health programme of the Finnish presidency over the six month period is ‘health in all policies’ (HiAP).
The Finnish presidency will look at policies as the ‘source’ of health and will consider the broad determinants of health as a link between policies and health outcomes. The Finnish government is to build on the work accomplished by preceding presidencies and increase efforts on:
- information and knowledge on HiAP among policy makers
- awareness on benefits of acting across sectors for health
- implementation of HiAP
- support DG Sanco in its HiAP initiatives.
- finalising the public health action programme by the end of 2007
- progressing the topic of advanced medical therapies
- progressing with the medical devices legislation review
- health statistics
- pandemic preparedness in cooperation with the ECDC and the WHO, and setting up a community stockpile of influenza antivirals
- and organising meetings on the issues of ‘health in the world of work’ and ‘prevention of drug related harm’.
