Volume 5 Number 4, Winter 1999/2000 eurohealth David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection Targets for Health Food and Health New opportunities for health in Northern Ireland Portuguese Presidency of the European Union – Priorities for Healtth Minister Manuela Arcanjo An increasingly important aspect of policy making within the eurohealth European Union is the role of sub-national institutions in the policy process. Nowhere is this more the case than in the LSE Health, London School of p United Kingdom, where the devolution process is creating new Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, centres of decision making in the health policy field. This issue United Kingdom of eurohealth includes an article by the new Scottish Minister Tel: +44 171 955 6840 for Health and Community Care on the aims of the current Fax: +44 171 955 6803 Web Site: Executive in health policy and service delivery. www.lse.ac.uk\department\lse–health r The changing institutional structures in Northern Ireland, as EDITORIAL well as the evolving political climate there, are the focus of EDITOR: Mike Sedgley: +44 171 955 6194 several articles. In particular, they discuss the new opportunities email: [email protected] for cooperation between the North and South of Ireland in pro- SENIOR EDITORIAL ADVISER: viding health services for the populations in the border areas. Paul Belcher: +44 171 955 6377 email: [email protected] e This is an important step for all Member States, as an example EDITORIAL TEAM: of inter-institutional cooperation being used pragmatically to Johan Calltorp Julian Le Grand deliver healthcare to their populations in the most efficient and Walter Holland effective manner. The difficulties of promoting health policy, or Elias Mossialos any policy, in a party system defined by sectarianism are also SUBSCRIPTIONS discussed. The successful formation of the Northern Irish Janice Isaac: +44 171 955 6840 f Executive since the writing of these articles has, however, led to email: [email protected] greater optimism in this respect. Published by LSE Health and the European Health Policy Research In the context of the current high profile of food safety issues in Network (EHPRN) with the financial the EU, several articles discuss the development of policy in this support of LSE Health and Merck and a field. In particular, Tim Lang sets out the complexities inherent Co Inc. in developing EU food policy and the problems likely to be eurohealth is a quarterly publication that provides a forum for policy- encountered by a European Food Agency. Jeanette Longfield, makers and experts to express their views meanwhile, focuses on the Common Agricultural Policy on health policy issues and so contribute (CAP), and explains the Sisyphean task facing those attempting to a constructive debate on public health policy in Europe. c its reform to take account of diet and public health, as well as The views expressed in eurohealth are environmental factors in the production of Europe’s food. Nils those of the authors alone and not neces- Rosdahl concludes this section with a look at the food control sarily those of LSE Health and EHPRN. system in Denmark and its implications for public health. ADVISORY BOARD e Dr Anders Anell; Professor David Banta; David Byrne, the new Commissioner for Health and Consumer Mr Michael Brown; Dr Reinhard Busse; Protection, sets out his view of how the policy of the new Professor Correia de Campos; Directorate General will proceed over the coming years, and Mr Graham Chambers; Professor Marie Christine Closon; Dr Giovanni Fattore; how it will respond to the broader public health provision Dr Josep Figueras; Dr Livio Garattini; accorded the Community in the Amsterdam Treaty. The Dr Unto Häkkinen; Professor Chris Ham; Mr Strachan Heppel; Professor David Portuguese Minister of Health, Maneula Arcanjo, summarises Hunter; Professor Claude Jasmin; Professor Egon Jonsson; Dr Jim Kahan; the tasks of the current Portuguese presidency, and details the Professor Felix Lobo; Professor Guillem official programme for the coming six months. John Bowis Lopez-Casasnovas; Mr Martin Lund; Professor Martin McKee; Dr Bernard addresses the issue of mental health in Europe and the opportu- Merkel; Dr Stipe Oreskovic; nities for progress in this area within the provisions of Professor Alain Pompidou; Dr Alexander Preker; Dr André Prost; Amsterdam. Dr Tessa Richards; Professor Richard Saltman; Dr B Serdar Savas; Mr Gisbert In short, we again have a eurohealth packed with informative Selke; Professor Igor Sheiman; Professor JJ Sixma; Professor Aris and informed debate about many aspects of public health. It is a Sissouras; Dr Hans Stein; Dr Miriam Wiley debate that will continue, in the new atmosphere of account- ability surrounding Europe’s institutions, as the provisions of © LSE Health 2000. No part of this publica- tion may be copied, reproduced, stored in a Amsterdam are seen to require action to make sure that retrieval system or transmitted in any form health really is taken into account across the policy without prior permission from LSE Health. spectrum. Design and Production: Westminster European, email: [email protected] Reprographics: FMT Colour Limited Mike Sedgley Printing: Seven Corners Press Ltd Editor ISSN 1356-1030 Contents Winter 1999 Volume 5 Number 4 2 Editorial: Would the Commissioner for health please stand up? CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Paul Belcher MANUELA ARCANJO is Minister of Health, 2 A health strategy for the new millennium Portugal Minister Manuela Arcanjo PAUL BELCHER is Senior Editorial Adviser to Eurohealth and European Affairs Manager of 3 The European Community’s future strategy in the field of public health the European Health Management Association, Commissioner David Byrne Brussels 5 After Tampere – Mental health in Europe JOHN BOWIS MEP is UK Conservative Party John Bowis MEP Spokesman on the Environment, Health and Consumer Affairs at the European Parliament 7 Health policy in the EU – and a former UK Health Minister A basic guide Food and health DAVID BYRNE is European Commissioner for Graham Chambers Health and Consumer Protection 28 Where is European food policy going? ETTA CAMPBELL is Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland Tim Lang New opportunities for GRAHAM CHAMBERS is Principal Administrator health in Northern Ireland 31 Sustain, the alliance for of the Health Division, Directorate General for better food and farming – Research, European Parliament 10 Health policy in Northern The labour of Sisyphus SOFIE DE BROE is Research Assistant, Depart- Ireland: What can we expect Jeanette Longfield ment of Epidemiology and Public Health, after devolution? Imperial College School of Medicine, UK 33 Public health and food Martin McKee SUSAN DEACON MSP is Scottish Minister for safety: the case of Salmonella Health and Community Care 13 The health of the public in in Denmark TOM FRAWLEY is Director-General of CAWT Nils Rosdahl Northern Ireland (Cooperation and Working Together) and Etta Campbell General Manager of the Western Health and Social Services Board, Northern Ireland 15 ‘Cooperation and Working Together’ Improving the Health targets MIKE JOFFE is Reader, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial health of the border 36 Targets for health: shifting College School of Medicine, UK populations in Ireland the debate Tom Frawley and Eithne TIM LANG is Professor of Food Policy at Thames Morton Warner Valley University, UK O’Sullivan JEANETTE LONGFIELD is Coordinator, Sustain – 19 Health care across borders: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming The scope for North-South American health policy and DOROTHY MCKEE, formerly Research Fellow at cooperation in hospital CHIME, University College London, services the presidential primaries Whittington Hospital, UK Dorothy McKee 38 The uninsured and the US MARTIN MCKEE is Professor of European Public presidential election Health at the London School of Hygiene and Elias Mossialos, Martin Tropical Medicine, UK Health promotion and the McKee and Alexandra Pitman ELIAS MOSSIALOS is Director of LSE Health and European Single Market a Project Director of the European Observatory on Health Care Systems, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK 21 The health impact of Health systems European single market CLIVE NEEDLE, a former UK Labour MEP and legislation European Parliament Rapporteur on the Future 43 Health of the nation Framework for EU Public Health 1998-99, is Susan Deacon 23 The regulation of now an independent public policy adviser pharmaceutical products 45 How a new English health EITHNE O’SULLIVAN, formerly Executive Officer agency can benefit European of CAWT (Cooperation and Working 24 Regulating the market in Together), Northern Ireland health development medical devices Clive Needle ALEXANDRA PITMAN, is a Research Assistant at LSE Health and the European Observatory on 24 Dangerous substances and Health Care Systems, London School of preparations Economics and Political Science, UK 48 25 Foodstuffs: harmonising a European Union news NILS ROSDAHL is Medical Officer of Health, City diverse policy area by the European Network of of Copenhagen, Denmark and President of the Danish Society of Public Health 1995–1999 Health Promotion Agencies 27 The health dimensions of and the Health Education MORTON WARNER is Director of the Welsh fiscal policy instruments Authority, England Institute for Health and Social Care and Mike Joffe and Sofie De Broe Professor of Health Policy and Strategy