Ireland has secured commitments for the delivery of 470,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines before the end of March and hopes to secure “significant quantities” of doses of vaccines not yet approved, the health minister said on Thursday (7 January), writes Conor Humphries. Ireland, which has a population of 4.9 million, has confirmed orders for 360,000 […]
EU Reporter
Published 3 months ago
The EPP Group is calling for a European Commission inquiry and action to be taken over serious allegations of an improper process by the Portuguese government concerning the appointment of the Portuguese Prosecutor to the European Public Prosecutor s Office (EPPO), which is tasked with fighting crimes against the EU budget.
“The misleading approach used by the Portuguese government to push their preferred candidate for appointment to the newly-formed EPPO is of grave concern. There are questions to be answered over the methods used and the legitimacy of the prosecutor’s appointment in light of this new information,” warned EPP Group Vice Chairman Esteban González Pons.
EU Reporter
Published 3 months ago
Welcome, health colleagues, to the first European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) update of 2021, and a Happy New Year to all. The harrowing scenes at Capitol Hill in the US yesterday (6 January) may have us all wondering whether the new year is going to proceed much like its predecessor, but EAPM is confident of a good working relationship ahead, working with the US on all health issues from the outset of Joe Biden’s presidency,
writes EAPM Executive Director Denis Horgan.
Beating Cancer Plan receives fresh publishing date
Every year, 3.5 million people in the EU are diagnosed with cancer, and 1.3 million die from it. Over 40% of cancer cases are preventable. Without reversing current trends, it could become the leading cause of death in the EU. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aims to reduce the cancer burden for patients, their families and health systems.
EU Reporter
Published 2 months ago
The World Vapers’ Alliance strongly urges policymakers to stay away from equating smoking tobacco and vaping, especially when it comes to taxation. This comes off the heels of a recently ended consultation on the update of the Tobacco Excise Directive, which specified the European Commission’s intention to tax vaping products similarly to how cigarettes are taxed.
Commenting on the consultation, WVA Director Michael Landl said: “Making vaping less appealing to smokers by higher prices will discourage current smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives. This is certainly not going to be of any public health benefit. Additionally, high taxes on vaping products are particularly harmful to the lower income brackets of the population, which make up the largest proportion of current smokers.”
EU Reporter
Published 3 months ago
The Commission is allocating €25 million to Greece under the Emergency Support Instrument to support the medical capacity in reception facilities for migrants living on the Greek mainland and on the islands. This funding will both reinforce the medical infrastructure in the reception centres and support public hospitals in host communities in Greece facing increased demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On this grant decision, Promoting our European Way of Life Vice President Margaritis Schinas said: “Being European means protecting the most vulnerable. With today s funding we are helping migrant and host communities in Greece to improve access healthcare for all, particularly important during the pandemic.”