Sex, smoke and gluttony on Union’s health agenda

By Emily Smith

Date: 12/01/06

It will be a particularly bad year to drink, smoke, eat a lot, or have unsafe sex. At least, that seems to be the case when looking at issues high on the political agenda of the European Union for the next 12 months.

Modern medicine and Western standards of living have so far prevented illnesses such as bird flu and SARS from developing into the plagues many feared recently. More high-level political attention may therefore now be on getting individuals to become healthier by changing their private lives than on preparing public authorities to deal with an epidemic.

Obesity could be the biggest health topic of the year. A debate about getting Europeans to slim down was launched before Christmas and will run until mid-March. The European Commission is expected to follow this up with an obesity proposal.

A controversial regulation on labelling food with health and nutritional claims, again aiming to reduce obesity rates, will come up for a second reading in the European Parliament early this year. Experience of the first round suggests that it will not be easy to strike a deal between MEPs and governments.

Internationally, the World Health Organization (WHO) will in November host a conference on preventing obesity.

In Brussels, the European Public Health Alliance will also continue to battle the bulge, with possible work including an EU-wide campaign encouraging exercise.

The high number of EU smokers remains another hot political topic. Spain and Belgium outlawed smoking in all offices this month and Belgium is gearing up for a ban in restaurants in 2007. Most French trains were also made non-smoking as of January, following a decision by national railway company SNCF.

The UK parliament will throughout 2006 continue to discuss a wide ranging smoking ban, based on those imposed recently by Ireland and Italy.

At EU level, the Austrian presidency has announced it will encourage women in particular to stop smoking. Vienna will stress the increased risk of lung cancer among women, pointing out that the number of female European smokers is now rising while more men are deciding to kick the habit.

The Commission will push on with its anti-smoking HELP campaign.

And the new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will continue its work helping the Commission raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Europe.

HIV rates remain relatively low in the EU, with just over 20,000 new cases diagnosed in 2004, out of almost five million worldwide. But late last year ECDC Director Zsuzsanna Jakab warned Europeans against complacency, saying that too many still ignored safe sex advice.

ECDC plans for 2006 include looking at whether or not EU HIV-infected mothers are taking the best steps to protect their babies.

Finally, in the spring EU teenagers can look forward to Commission plans to stop them drinking so much. A draft version says that no EU country should be allowed to sell alcohol to the under 18s.

Perhaps by 2007 the EU will be full of skinny ascetic Europeans, carrying condoms rather than cigarettes.

Article previews the at health-related issues high on the political agenda of the European Union in 2006. Article is part of a European Voice Special Report, 'The EU in 2006'.