eu4journalists

Employment - Social affairs - Health

4. Health

Issues

• EU Health Programme 2007-2013
• Pending White Paper on Health
• Environmental and Social contributions to bad health
• Disability and workplace safety and health

In April 2005, the Commission adopted the Community Programme for Health and Consumer Protection 2007-2013, which extended and combined the EU health program for public health and consumer protection policy. The Parliament, however, decided to split the Programme into two and assign them to separate committees. The following year, the Commission presented two amended proposals for health and consumer protection. These amended proposals provided the basis for the November 2006 EU Health Programme 2007-2013. This Programme is part of an Overall Health Strategy, which the Commission is expected to adopt in the form of a White Paper on Health in June 2007. The Programme will:

• Protect citizens against health threats and provide health security and safety
• Promote productive longevity for the ageing and help to bridge health inequality
• Promote healthier lifestyles and decrease the effects of environmental and social economic determinants
• Generate health knowledge and information

The EU-25 spend an average of 7.76% of their GDP on healthcare, with the average in the EU-15 8.6% and in the two new member states 5.8%. Several heath concerns are paramount:

• Obesity accounts for between 2-8% of total healthcare costs
• Tobacco is the largest cause of avoidable death, costing just over 1% of GDP annually
• Mental health affects over 27% of adults and can cost member states up to 4% of GDP
• Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death, costing around 3% of GDP and 500 million lost workdays annually

Many aspects of health are linked to other policy areas, such as the environment, economic inequality, access to healthcare due to lack of development and working conditions.

Health and Safety in the Workplaces is essential in achieving the employment goals of the Lisbon Strategy. The legal basis for this area began in the 1950s with the European Coal and Steel Community and has evolved over the years into a more streamlined body of law. The EU has a legal basis under Article 137 of the 1992 EU Treaty (Treaty establishing European Community) to regulate worker health and safety.