| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Series Details | 15.6.03 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 14/06/2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Illnesses and deaths triggered by environmental pollution are on the increase across Europe. The latest figures are startling: one child in seven suffers from asthma; some 10 million people are exposed to environmental noise levels that can result in hearing loss; and more than 60,000 deaths in large European cities can, at least in part, be attributed to long term exposure to air pollution. In response to this link between poor health and environmental problems, the European Commission launched a new strategy on 11 June 2003 [IP/03/823] aimed at reducing the number of diseases that can be linked to environmental factors. The European Environment and Health Strategy is a long term vision that will focus on improving the understanding of the complex relationship between environment and health and eventually reducing the diseases caused by environmental factors. Commenting on the proposal, European Commissioner for Health, David Byrne, said:
Background In 2002, the European Environment Agency published a report that examined the available evidence concerning the relationship between the physial environment and human health. It revealed that as one of society's most vulnerable groups, children are more susceptible to environmental toxicants with the potential for long term helth problems. Further studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme all support these findings. According to figures supplied to the European Commission, around 20% of the total burden of disease in industrialised countries can be attributed to environmental factors. Whilst common diseases such as asthma, which has increased three-fold in western areas in the last few decades, may be the most obvoius examples of environmental related health problems, certain forms of cancer and infertility may also be attributed to the surroundings in which we live. The worrying links between the local environment and poor health are not just the concerns of scientists and researchers, the general public is also worried. In a flash Eurobarometer comducted in April 2002, some 89% of the respondents expressed concern about the potential impact of the environment on their health. New technologies, changing lifestyles, work and life patterns, were all viewed as presenting new and sometimes unexpected impacts on the environment and its influence on health. The EU's Environmental and Health Policy In September 1998, the European Member States of the World Health Organisation adopted a health policy for the 21st Century that emphasised the importance of considering the environmental determinants of human health and made specifc recommendations in areas such as air quality, drinking-water and wastewater, solid waste and radiation. One target of that policy states that, by the year 2015, people in the WHO European Region should live in a safer physical environment, with exposure to contaminants hazardous to health at levels not exceeding internationally agreed standards. In line with the WHO's position, the EU's environmental policy has from the outset been driven primarily by health considerations. To date, it has suceeded in resolving many environmental and health related problems but the European Commission has always been aware that more needed to be done. The Amsterdam Treaty provides legal provisions for Community action in the field of Environment and Health, and in the Sixth Environmental Action Programme the EU has set itself the goal of contributing:
In the field of health, the Community Action Programme on public health (2003-2008) takes the environment as a major health determinant, while the EU Sixth Framework Research Programme provides for specific actions on this issue. European Environment and Health Strategy It is in the context of a renewed focus on the links between environment and health that the European Commissin adopted a Commuincation outlining a dedicated Environment and Health Strategy on 11 June 2003. The strategy seeks to better integrate information and research on the state of the environment, ecosystem and human health in orer to help policy makers at both the EU and national level develop more efficient environmental legislation and measures to protect human health. The strategy has three ultimate objectives:
It is commonly to be known as the SCALE initative becuase the European Commission intends to scale up its efforts in this area and because each letter has special significance. S is for Science: The aims being to develop a better understanding of how different pollutant react together; of how pollutants move in the environment; of how we come into contact with them and of how the human body reacts to continuous exposure to different pollutants. C is for Children: The strategy will focus on children because of their particular vulnerability to environmental factors. Working with the WHO, the European Commission plans to establish indicators and bio-monitoring systems that will improve the understanding of where, how and why children are affected. A is for Awareness: The European Commission is keen to ensure that both policy-makers and stakeholders increase their efforts to communicate about environmental-health problems and how they can be solved / avoided. L is for Legislation: The European Commission intends to propose new legislation to complement national and international initatives, paying particular attention to ensure it reflects the needs of children. E is for Evaluated: The strategy will be continuously evaluated to ensure that the measures are effectively reducing environmental - health related problems. The strategy will be implemented in cycles, the first of which will last from 2004-2010 with the focus on four specific health effects:
The European Public Health Alliance immediately welcomed the new strategy, saying:
Having adopted the strategy, the European Commission now intends to begin an extensive consultation with all relevant experts and stakeholders from the environment, health and research fields. There will then be three reigonal conferences during Autumn 2003 before the work culminates in an Action Plan 2004-2010, which the European Commission hopes to adopt in Spring 2004. The new strategy and action plan will be a focal point for the Fourth Inter-Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, scheduled to take place in Budapest in June 2004. Further information within European Sources Online:
Further information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions & Agenices European Commission International Organisations
Helen Bower 14 June 2003 The European Commission adopted a new Environment and Health Strategy on 11 June 2003. |
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| Subject Categories | Environment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
