September 2002 1

Lobbying for health in the EU

 

Andrew Hayes

UICC/ECL EU Liaison Office

Brussels

September 2002 2

The European Commission

Initiatives

Implementation

Monitoring

• Commissioner and Cabinet• Directorates General

September 2002 3

The European Council

Consists of Member States

Ultimate political authority

Ministers - e.g.: Health Presidency

Civil servants - COREPER 

September 2002 4

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

Country Votes

Austria 4

Belgium 5

Denmark 3

Finland 3

France 10

Country Votes

Netherlands 5

Portugal 5

Spain 8

Sweden 4

United Kingdom 10

A ‘qualified majority’ needs 62 votes out of a total of 8. In practice, it is politically necessary to do better than this. A 'satisfactory solution' should command at least 65 votes.

The Council is comprised of representatives of each Member State, but reaches decisions (for this particular purpose) on the basis of a weighted voting system. The votes are allocated as follows:

Country Votes

Germany 10

Greece 5

Ireland 3

Italy 10

Luxembourg 2

September 2002 5

The European Parliament

The 'democratic' institution

Agenda setting

Budgetary approval

European legislation

September 2002 6

Members of the European Parliament

Politicians - elected for five years

- as party members/national members

- as members of EP political groups

- as committee members

- as special interest 'experts’ e.g., Health Forum Intergroup

- supported by EP officials

- and a vast array of 'permanent visitors'

September 2002 7

Political groups in the EP

Total

PPE-DE 6 1 53 9 28 21 5 35 2 9 7 9 5 7 37 234

PSE 5 2 35 9 24 18 1 16 2 6 7 12 3 6 29 175

ELDR 5 6 3 1 8 1 8 5 4 11 52

GUE/NGL 4 7 7 4 15 6 1 2 1 3 50

Verts/ALE 7 4 4 9 2 2 1 4 2 2 2 6 45

UEN 1 3 6 10 2 22

EDD 2 9 3 2 16

NI 2 1 12 10 5 2 32Total 25 16 99 25 64 87 15 87 6 31 21 25 16 22 87 626

Political groups:PPE-DE Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European DemocratsPSE Group of the Party of European SocialistsELDR Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform PartyGUE/NGL Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green LeftVerts/ALE Group of the Greens/European Free AllianceUEN Union for Europe of the Nations GroupEDD Group for a Europe of Democracies and DiversitiesNI Non-attached

September 2002 8

The Treaty of Nice (which is still being ratified) sets out the institutional arrangements for enlarged Union of 27 States

• Parliament : 732 seats allocated according to criteria set out in the Treaty (next elections June 2004)

• Commission: Each Member State has the right to a Commissioner (new college of Commissioners, Jan 2005)

• Council : 345 votes with a Qualified Majority of 255 votes

This will have to be revised if less than 12 countries have signed the Accession Treaty before 1 January 2004. Enlargement negotiations expected to be concluded by the Copenhagen Summit, 12-13 December 2002

The Enlarged Union

September 2002 9

What is in the EU treaty?

Article 152 of the Amsterdam Treaty states:

• “a high level of health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities”

• But the EU must respect Member State responsibilities for organisation and delivery of health care

September 2002 10

The Subsidiarity Principle

In areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Community shall take action in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity:

• only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States

• and can by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action be better achieved by the Community

• any action by the Community shall not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaty

September 2002 11

The Proportionality test

Consists of three elements:

What is the objective to be pursued?

Are the means employed suitable for the achievement of that measure?

Do they go beyond what is necessary to achieve it?

September 2002 12

Contact details:

International Union against Cancer and Association of European Cancer Leagues

33 rue de Pascale

B-1040, Brussels

Tel: (32-2) 230 20 27

Fax: (32-2) 231 18 58

Email: hayes@globalink.org