The key health priorities of European Commission John Dalli, presented today by at the European Health Forum Gastein, include prevention, in particular in the field of tobacco control; an appropriate framework for cross-border healthcare; and innovation in the field of active and healthy ageing.
The EHFG is the most important conference on health care policy in the EU. This year it attracted 580 decision-makers from 58 countries for discussions on the latest developments in health care policy.
In view of the huge challenges for the European health systems such as ageing, health inequalities and the rising prevalence of obesity, particular importance had to be attributed to prevention, Mr Dalli emphasised.
“Prevention is an investment for the future. We therefore must go beyond the current level of spending in this field,” he said.
He said that a tougher stance was needed on smoking as a major health threat. Every year 650,000 Europeans died because of tobacco consumption.
“On the basis of the current public consultation just launched, I am planning to propose a revision of the Tobacco Products Directive in early 2012.”
Another key issue, according to Commissioner Dalli, is the Cross-border Healthcare Directive, to be adopted in the coming months. It is to set clear rules for all European citizens who decide to seek healthcare in a member state other than their country of residence.
“I have put innovation at the heart of my policy,” Mr Dalli told EHFG participants.
Just recently, the European Commission presented its ideas on how to turn the EU into an “Innovation Union” by 2020.
The very first action in this framework, according to Mr Dalli, will be an “Innovation Partnership on Healthy and Active Ageing” – a topic broadly discussed at this year’s EHFG.
This new partnership had the ambitious goal of increasing by two years the number of years that Europeans could live an active and healthy life.
The new initiative would bring together governments, civil society, industry and the European Commission to deliver concrete innovative solutions to meet the needs of patients.
“Health sustainability is not about cost cutting, it’s about efficiency”, the Commissioner noted, referring to the debate on healthcare financing at the EHFG. “I expect E-health to largely contribute to this aim.”