• NHF policy goals for prevention
• European public health strategy
• European Heart Health Initiative
• European Food Authority
• Pan-European tobacco control
• Further information
• Useful links
• References

What's new in European health policy agenda?

Latest figures show that cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and stroke) is Europe’s number one killer.1 Tackling the inequalities in risk factors between nations and within societies is a clear priority for pan-European policy development if the progress in reducing rates of cardiovascular disease seen in countries like Finland is to be reproduced elsewhere.

• Every child born into the new millennium should be able to live until at least the age of 65 free of avoidable cardiovascular disease.
• Cardiovascular disease prevention must have a high priority in the new EU public health strategy.
• The European Food Authority should have a clear remit in nutritional issues and wider public health, beyond food safety.
• Nutrition claims in food labelling should be subject to effective European regulation.
• Tough, effective European-wide regulations to end direct and indirect advertising of tobacco must be introduced with minimum delay to prevent tobacco companies recruiting another generation of smokers.

The European Union’s competency in public health has been extended following the ratification of the Treaty of Amsterdam (1999). Against this background the NHF has contributed during the year to consultation on the EU six-year public health strategy and programme, highlighting the major health threat posed by coronary heart disease throughout the EU.

The NHF submitted a response to the European Commission’s Communication on the health strategy of the European community and a proposal for a programme of community action in the field of public health (2001-2006)[COM (2000) 285 final]. Contact NHF for a copy of the response.

The NHF submitted an earlier response to the Communication on the development of public health in the European Community [COM (1998) 230 final]. Contact NHF for a copy of the response.

Over the last two years, the NHF has participated in the European Heart Health Initiative (EHHI). Set up as a project of the European Heart Network with contributory funding from the European Commission, the EHHI aims to raise awareness and promote action against cardiovascular disease across Europe. One of the goals of the Initiative is to establish alliances of organisations in each member state to coordinate action on heart disease prevention.

The focus of phase one of the project (1999-2000) in the UK (where the NHF alliance is well-established) has been to coordinate a series of activities among member organisations for the year 2000 with a shared theme of ‘children’. Phase two continues the work of phase one, sharing information among members via a regular newsletter and meetings.

In collaboration with the European Heart Network (EHN), the NHF responded to the EC consultation on the creation of the European Food Authority. In line with recommendations put forward by the NHF and other food and health organisations for the UK Food Standards Agency, the NHF called for a clear statement of the Authority’s remit to indicate responsibilities for nutritional issues as well as for food safety.

The NHF/EHN made recommendations on the remit of the European Food Authority. Contact NHF for a copy of the recommendations.

The international nature of tobacco production, sale and promotion means that tobacco control efforts must transcend national boundaries in order to reduce the toll of smoking-related disease.

Tobacco advertising is banned in several EU countries including Italy, Portugal, France and Finland. The NHF supports an EU Directive to ban direct and indirect advertising. The goal must be to secure a Directive that will survive any legal challenges in the European Court of Justice.

The NHF has lobbied MEPs to support proposals for the EU Directive on the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products. The Directive, agreed by the EU Council of Health Ministers in June 2000, paves the way for larger health warnings on packets, lower tar levels for all cigarettes and a ban on misleading labelling such as ‘low tar’, ‘light’ and ‘mild’.

European cardiovascular disease statistics
Compiled by the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University.
Available at www.dphpc.ox.ac.uk/bhfhprg/stats

Report on the state of young people’s health in the European Union
Published by the European Commission, February 2000.

The following four publications of the European Heart Network are available via their website at www.ehnheart.org

Food, nutrition and cardiovascular disease prevention in the European Union
Published by the European Heart Network, June 1998.

Tobacco use: The dramatic effect on cardiovascular disease in the European Union and priorities for action
Published by the European Heart Network, April 1998.

Social factors, work, stress and cardiovascular disease prevention in the European Union
Published by the European Heart Network, July 1998.

Physical activity and cardiovascular disease prevention in the European Union
Published by the European Heart Network, December 1999.

European Commission - English language index (http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm)

European Heart Network (www.ehnheart.org) to link with other European Heart Health Initiative (EHHI) members

European Network for Smoking Prevention (www.ensp.org)

European Society of Cardiology (www.escardio.org)

UICC International Union against Cancer (www.uicc.ch)

WHO Europe (www.who.dk)

For more links, see Members page. For European coronary heart disease statistics, see Facts page.

1 World Health Organization. 1999.
European Health for all statistical database.