International organisations dealing with health and related issues

Co-operation with International Organisations is important for the Community when developing and implementing its public health activities. Synergy and complementarities of activities and programmes are needed to avoid overlapping when pursuing common goals. DG Sanco has strengthened its collaborative work[1] with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Council of Europe and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

World Health Organisation (WHO)[2] – and The European Commission has long-standing bilateral relations, dating back to exchange of letters in 1972, 1982 and in 2000. This last exchange identifies various priority areas, including health information, communicable diseases, tobacco control, environment and health, sustainable health development, health research, and outlines practical procedures for co-operation. At high level, regular meetings between the Commissioner responsible for health and consumer protection and the WHO Director General are taking place.

DG Sanco and WHO Regional Office for Europe signed in March 2007 contracts to jointly fund seven projects[3] that will be implemented by WHO/Europe over a period of three years. They cover European health policy priorities on environment and health, injuries, equity in health, health security, health services, alcohol and emergency medical services. The overall budget of the package is €4.232.963. The European Union's Public Health Program will cover 60% of the cost.

Partnership between these two organizations can mean that all EU Member States' public health policies can be better supported. The Commission will collaborate with the WHO to develop a nutrition and physical activity surveillance system for the EU-27 as one of the follow-up actions of the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity adopted in Istanbul in November 2006. WHO intends to adopt a second Food and Nutrition Action Plan for Europe in 2007 and the Commission welcomes this updated public health framework in which to place future actions and is committed to strong participation in this process.

Council of Europe[4] - and the European Commission bilateral relations date back to the exchange of letters in 1987, 1996 and 2001 covering a wide range of activities, include health. This includes collaborative work in areas such as quality and safety of blood, tissues and cells and combating drug abuse. Together with WHO they agreed to further develop their co-operation in the following areas:

- equity in health,

- health information, including health monitoring, the impact of information technologies on health care (the patient and internet), the media and health

- health promotion, including current co-operation in the framework of the European Network of health promoting schools

- quality and safety of organs and substances of human origin, blood and blood derivatives

- drug dependence.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)[5]The European Commission has all rights of membership, except the right to vote under the founding Convention of the OECD. The Convention gives the EC the right to be represented in the OECD.

Co-operation with the OECD in the field of public health has largely been limited to the mutual participation of relevant officials in the health monitoring and health data collection area. Representatives of OECD have attended the programme committee meetings of the Community action programme on health monitoring. Similarly the Commission is invited to participate in the meetings of the OECD Health Data National Correspondents of the Working Party on Social Policy. Co-operation will be further developed in the framework of the implementation of the new Community public health programme.

[1] The co-operation has been developed in the context of the new provisions of the Treaty in the health area. Article 152 provides that 'the Community and the Member States shall foster co-operation with third countries and the competent international organizations in the sphere of public health'.

[2]For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_international/int_organisations/who_en.htm

[3] For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_international/int_organisations/who_en.htm and www.euro.who.int

[4] For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_international/int_organisations/council_en.htm

[5] For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_international/int_organisations/oecd_en.htm