EPHA Report
EU Open Forum Steering Group meeting
September 21, 2003
The Public Health Directorate of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-Generale (SANCO) of the European Commission organised the first meeting of the Open Forum Steering Group in Brussels to have a general discussion on the organisations of such a forum.
The basis of the discussion focused on a document tabled during the June 2003 Health Policy Forum, entitled “Towards a European Health Day” (see attachment).
The meeting was attended by EPHA Policy Director Genon Jensen. Approximately twenty member organisations of the HPF were represented including five EPHA member organisations .
The meeting was chaired by Mr Bernie Merkel, head of the Policy Analysis and development: international questions division.
Background
The three components of the European Commission Health Forum include:
– Health Policy Forum (45 permanent European member organisations meet every six months to discuss policy issues, papers in operation since November 2001)
– Virtual Forum (an instrument to exchange information and foster discussions. A specific Internet site has been in operation since early 2002, although it is not yet interactive)
– Open Health Forum (to be held possibly every year and open to a wider constituency)
Discussions during the meeting focused on the various element of the first Open Health Forum with the following conclusions:
Timing and Venue: April-May 2004, Brussels
The first Forum will be held in 2004, preferably in April or June, in order to involve the current Commission and the incoming member states.
HPF members did not see added value in holding the forum alongside World Health Day, April 7, as it might narrow the scope of the forum to the theme for World Health Day and possibly confuse participants about the different roles of WHO and the EU in terms of health.
Due to budgetary, logistical and timing constraints, the Forum would be limited to approximately 300-400 participants (see below on who should participate).
The venue would be one of the Commission’s building in Brussels to allow many different stakeholders to attend, and increase the number of potential delegates.
Theme and objectives
It was agreed that during the first Open Forum, it would be useful to have a general theme addressing the EU’s evolution in public health policy, its current competence following the IGC. Special focus would be given throughout the topics on issues relating to the new member states.
EPHA also suggested that a brief overview of 2004 policy priorities with an impact on health and opportunities for stakeholder participation should be presented in order to increase further involvement following the Forum.
The Open Forum would aim to provide a balance between information exchange between participants and possibilities for consultation and reflection through parallel working groups.
Structure: Plenary and Parallel sessions
The one-day meeting would include a plenary session with key note speakers, break out into 3 or 4 parallel sessions (organised by HPF participants) and then hold a closing seminar to provide feedback.
The parallel sessions would be organised by HPF members. The ideas that were put forward include:
– Capacity building and advocacy skills in EU health policy (EPHA in collaboration with the Patients Forum)
– Health and the single market (EHMA)
– Health professions (Standing Committee of European Doctors)
– Health telematics (EHTEL)
– Environment and health policy agenda (EPHA Environment Network)
The conference venue should allow for exhibitions of HPF members, member states and EU institutions to increase information exchange and networking.
Simultaneous broadcast: In order to increase the participation in the conference despite limited seating capacity, it was suggested that listening rooms and screens be made available for additional delegates. This has been done in the past successfully in a number of international conferences. This option would enable more delegates to attend and increase networking.
Webcasting of the conference: This idea was discussed but many felt that it had major resource implications and might not be widely watched.
Who should participate in Open Forum?
After a lengthy discussion, which included the constraints of keeping the participation to 300-400 for the first forum, it was agreed that the composition should be balanced between the four pillars (NGOs, patients, professionals and industry) and member state representation and regions.
In order to respond to the space limitations, it was suggested that the participating European HPF members could nominate 2-3 representatives from their networks, which would increase representation from national level. Participation from the new member states would also be encouraged.
A rough indication of the division of invited delegates might follow the lines of:
– Health Policy Forum member organisations (50X3 representatives each) 150
– Member state representative (25 X 3) 75
– European or other organisations who have expressed an interest in being part of the HPF (approximately 30) 30
– EU institutions (EP, Commission, ECOSOC, COR) and other international institutions such as WHO – 50
There would also be the possibility for organisations to register their interest in attending through the Commission’s website to increase the transparency.
Information needs and products for the Open Forum and beyond
HPF participants agreed that it would be useful to have several practical written information tools available in a number of languages and on the website, not only for delegates to the Forum, but also for other stakeholders. Some of these could include:
– A practical guide on the EU and health with an overview of the evolution in the EU’s competence in health, how health is covered in the different institutions and what legislation exists. Many good examples of this type of material already exist and HPF members were encouraged to send any examples to the Commission. (EPHA has already put this item in its DGSANCO proposal for 2004)
– A brief citizen’s guide to health rights in the EU (could include information on what the EU’s competence in health is, free movement of patients/professionals issues, etc)
Other items discussed:
1. Agenda of the December 5 2003 Health Forum Policy
– Review of HFP membership criteria
– Presentation of Health professionals mobility paper
– Update on patient mobility, G10
– Services of general interest (EPSU)
– Update on the IGC and health (EPHA)
– Environment and Health Strategy: process (Commission)
– Health Portal
2. Survey on potential topics for Open Health Policy Forum
It was suggested that an informal survey among the membership of the HPF member organisations on what topics would be of most interest and use during the parallel sessions of the Open Health Forum conference would be beneficial. The survey could also request input on to what type of information needs the Commission could usefully provide in this context.
Your input for action
Bernie Merkel asked HFP participants to send their suggestions/ideas by mid-October on the following:
– Examples of written materials that provide an overview of the EU and health
– Organisations, primarily with a European or regional focus, that do NOT sit on the HPF and should be invited to the Open Forum
– Ideas on potential topics for the parallel sessions
– Suggestions on speakers and sessions for the plenary session
Next steps
Following input from the Open Forum Steering Group, the Commission will convene a second meeting before the end of the year.
The results of these meetings will also be discussed at the next Health Policy Forum meeting in December.
If you have any ideas that you would like the EPHA secretariat to submit, please send an email to genon@epha.org by October 13.