The first formal meeting of the European Parliament Interest Group on Mental Health took place on 28 April 2010 to discuss its objectives and the organisation of the group. Chaired by Ms. Antonya Parvanova MEP and co-chaired by Ms. Nessa Childers MEP and Ms. Glenis Willmott MEP the group will meet 3 times a year with a room for additional meetings depending on demand. EPHA Secretary General Monika Kosinska and Global Health Policy Officer Dorota Sienkiewicz attended the meeting.
At this introductory meeting of the EP Interest Group on Mental Health, Ms Antonya Parvanova MEP introduced the governance-related issues of the group as well as its working methods. It will be co-chaired by Ms Nessa Childers MEP and Ms Glenis Willmott MEP and meet 3 times a year, with a room for additional meetings depending on demand and interest.
It has been proposed to work on the following two topics:
– the link between physical and mental health
– the issue of stigma and the “European Pact on Mental Health and Well-Being” endorsed in June 2008.
After a short presentation from the group`s Secretariat organisation – GAMIAN-Europe – a representative of the Cabinet of European Commissioner for Health John Dalli presented the EU priorities in the area of mental health, mentioning a vast number of ongoing initiatives and political processes that are being undertaken at EU level. It was clear that political support in the field of mental health is increasingly important and continuously needed. The five thematic mental health-related conferences and the special DG Sanco “good practices” website were also mentioned (notably, the recently cancelled conference in Madrid will be re-organised, and 28-29 June 2010 was announced as its new date).
Following this, Mr. John Bowis – a former MEP and current chairman of the Mental and Physical Health Platform – took the floor and talked about the background of mental health initiatives in the European Parliament, the European Commission and different EU Presidencies. He made it clear that, although mental health and well-being have many focuses, a broad vision on mental health is needed and that continuous efforts must be made. In particular, considering the current economic and financial downturn, mental health must be embedded into all relevant policies so that it is comprehensively addressed in EU employment, environment or even development policies.
During the debate that followed the official launch, EPHA Secretary General Monika Kosinska stressed that mental health is important not only in terms of recovery but also prevention; especially in light of the EU`s prioritisation of “competitiveness in the global economy”. She also underlined the importance of broader aspects of EU policies.
The next meeting of the group is scheduled to take place before the summer.
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