The role of the European Union in the area of health is to undertake measures to supplement the work of the Member States, while providing European added value, with regard to major growing challenges to the health of Europe’s citizens (population ageing, cross-border health threats or illnesses linked to unhealthy lifestyles). The new strategy relates to health in all sectors and proposes four principles for the coming years:
- a strategy based on shared health values
- health is the greatest wealth
- health in all policies (HIAP)
- strengthening the EU’s voice in global health
In addition to these principles, there are three strategic objectives that define Community action in the field of health for the coming years:
- fostering good health in an ageing Europe
- protecting citizens from health threats
- supporting dynamic health systems and new technologies
EU PLATFORM ON DIET, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH
The problem of a sustained, acute EU-wide increase in overweight and obesity that characterizes the behavior of the European Union citizens, is already sufficiently severe and sufficiently understood for certain actors to be prepared to give a lead in taking actions that can help to contain or reverse current trends.
The Platform will seek close coordination with other initiatives, and will seek to enable successful endeavors in this field to be more promptly shared with potential partners and emulators across the European Union as a whole. The fields for action identified so far by the current actors in the Platform reflect the various experiences of participants: Consumer information, including labeling, Education, Physical activity promotion, Marketing and advertising, Composition of foods, availability of healthy food options, portion sizes.
The role of CODCR in the area of health is to follow the example set out by the EU platform in this field and to provide input into the policy debate for health in the Danube Region.