Healthy citizens
New EU Commission should take on rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases
The new European Commission should tackle "head-on" rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, the president of the European League Against Rheumatism (Eular) told EURACTIV in an interview, referring to chronic diseases that affect one-quarter of all Europeans, creating healthcare and social security costs.
Velux CEO: ‘If you want the most energy efficient home, live in a cave’
Companies and lawmakers must take more responsibility in helping to solve issues related to buildings, including reducing carbon emissions and improving health standards, according to Velux CEO David Briggs.
1 in 3 children live in unhealthy homes, warns ‘alarming’ report
A third of European children live in damp, cold, dark or noisy homes, according to new findings released last week. Portugal is the worst offender in the EU, with one in two kids exposed to unhealthy conditions.
Healthy homes: ‘The biggest health and business opportunity of a lifetime’
Indoor environment quality and healthy homes play an ever more substantial role in human wellbeing, according to new research unveiled at a high-level event last week (10 October).
Buildings and the forgotten 90%
Human beings spend on average 90% of their lives indoors. Buildings are also a huge drain on energy resources and create a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. This Special Report looks deeper into the places we live and work.
Germany is a ‘developing country’ when it comes to tobacco regulation, expert says
While Germany is being branded a 'developing country' in terms of tobacco regulation, experts warn that a new wave of cancer illnesses may be related to the consumption of E-cigarettes. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Center-right MEPs call for special EU Parliament committee on cancer
The European People’s Party (EPP), the biggest political group in the EU assembly, will ask for the creation of a special parliamentary committee to help formulate a new EU-wide plan to combat cancer. EURACTIV.com and EURACTIV.cz report from Strasbourg.
Better access to health innovation is Kyriakides’ top priority (and hardest task)
With increased powers, Health Commissioner-designate Stella Kyriakides is tasked with striking a difficult balance between making sure there is a steady supply of affordable medicines and ensuring that EU pharma industry remains a world leader in innovation.
Romania cuts VAT rate for ‘healthy and traditional food’
The Romanian government has decided to promote the consumption of healthy and traditional foodstuffs by cutting the VAT rate from 9% to 5%. EURACTIV Romania reports.
Extreme weather cost Europe nearly half a trillion euros so far
Floods, droughts, heatwaves and other climate-related extremes caused economic losses of €453 billion between 1980 and 2017, claiming the lives of more than 115,000 people across Europe.
A Europe that Champions Well-being: Reframing EU priorities for the next five years
A global paradigm shift is occurring in attitudes towards economic and social progress. From a GDP centred model, a new paradigm now focuses on improving citizen’s well-being. All Policies for a Healthy Europe is a multi-stakeholder initiative calling for Europe...
Lawmakers, stakeholders see delivering economics of well-being as next health challenge
The well-being of EU citizens should be made a priority and an intersectoral approach integrating policy areas such as housing, fighting pollution and digital transformation into health can also help bring about new economic models, MEPs and civil society representatives agree.
EU citizens need health and well-being as a policy priority, stakeholders say
Stakeholders from different policy areas have come together to set broader, multi-sectorial priorities for health and well-being but also to make the entire sector an EU priority in the next legislative term, because it could help foster a "new and stronger economic model" for Europe.
Brussels air quality tumbles, fails to trigger free transport
Fine particle matter in the EU capital’s air exceeded a warning threshold on Thursday (28 February) but did not worsen enough to trigger free public transport. In a separate development, one of the EU’s top lawyers urged governments to put monitoring stations where pollution is highest.
Disparities remain on how to tackle lung cancer in Europe, report says
Enhanced prevention measures, especially against tobacco and electronic cigarettes, combined with access to innovative treatments can help tackle rising lung cancer cases in Europe, a new study funded by the industry has found.
Romanian health minister: Prevention and innovative drugs to kill cancer
In order to face the rising cancer incidence across Europe, governments should prioritise prevention policies, as well as access to innovative medicines under an EU-wide plan, Romanian Health Minister Sorina Pintea told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
EU climate plan teases €200bn in health savings per year
Europe stands to avoid €200 billion in healthcare costs every year and significantly reduce premature deaths if the EU ends up adopting an ambitious climate change policy for 2050, according to the European Commission's long-term strategy.
Next Commission needs a vice-president for health, campaigners say
A new office should be set up in the next European Commission to implement cross-sectoral policies in health policymaking, a multi-stakeholder platform has said. VideoPromoted content
Innovation investments in Europe
As part of the European Biotech Week, Johnson & Johnson hosted a exclusive roundtable discussion on "Life Science Investments in Europe" in Brussels.
Europe’s health sector worried about post-Brexit investment dearth
Fragmented, multilingual and over-regulated: Europe is currently not an attractive place for investors and things could get worse after Brexit, experts from the life sciences industry have warned.
MEPs call to raise awareness on benefits of vaccines
The European Parliament’s Environment Committee called on member states to tighten their law against anti-vaccination movements and better inform their citizens about its myths and benefits. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.
Merkel ready for ‘painful compromises’ with coalition deal in sight
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday (6 February) she was ready to make "painful compromises" as negotiators from her conservative bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) rushed to clinch a coalition government deal after months of political uncertainty.
German parties to tackle labour, healthcare in extra round of coalition talks
Negotiators for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) will try on Monday (5 February) to hammer out compromises on healthcare and labour policy - the final stumbling blocks in the way of another 'grand coalition'.