Your Relevant Directorate-Generals and Commissioners

In Imaging
Thu, 20 Apr 2006

HealthManagement, Volume 5 - Issue 3,2006

DG Enterprise & Industry Commissioner Günter

This DG is responsible for EU policy on:

• pharmaceuticals

• medical devices

• tissue engineering.

Examples of EU legislation in these fields are:

• The proposal for a regulation on medicines for children (see also ICU Management Summer 2005)

• A regulatory framework on human tissue engineered products, currently in process

• With regards to medical devices, the European Community's involvement concerns mainly the regulatory framework for market access, international trade relations and regulatory convergence, and the competitiveness of industry. In May this year the Commission started a public consultation process to improve public health and safety of medical devices.

European Commission

DG Health and Consumer Protection

RUE DE LA LOI 200

B-1049 Brussels

Belgium

DG Health and Consumer Protection (Known as DG “Sanco”)

Commissioner Markos Kyprianou

This DG is responsible for EU policy on:

• Public health: including health information, threats to health, health determinants and the EU public health programme including funding opportunities for projects in the field

• Patient mobility issues. Examples of EU legislation in these fields are:

• A decision in December 2004 to set up the ‘Executive Agency for the Public Health Programme’, for the management of Community action in the field of public health

• Recent legislation aiming to further the development of a variety of communicable disease surveillance networks and early warning and rapid response systems, i.e. setting up the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

• Legislation to address the problems of antimicrobial resistance and bioterrorism, and develop strategies for preventing and responding to communicable disease (e.g. influenza preparedness and protection against intentional epidemics) and non-communicable disease threats

• Directives in the field of quality and safety of substances of human origin (e.g. blood, tissues and cells, and organs), in order to prevent the transmission of pathogens by these therapeutic materials.

DG Employment and Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Commissioner Vladimir Spidla

This DG is responsible for EU policy on:

• Labour law and work organisation

• Health and safety at work

• Free movement of workers

• Condition of social security schemes

• Social dialogue

• Corporate social responsibility. Examples of EU legislation in these fields are:

• The directive concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time, currently in revision

• Legislation on the European Health Insurance Card, launched in June 2004

• Directives on workplaces in general and work equipment in particular

• A directive on working conditions for temporary workers

• A directive on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.

European Commission

DG Employment and Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Rue Joseph II 37

B-1049 Brussels

Belgium

DG Internal Market

Commissioner Charlie McCreevy

This DG is responsible for EU policy on:

• Patient mobility issues

• Free movement of persons, i.e. mutual recognition of professional qualifications, patient mobility

• Free movement of services

• Public procurement. of EU legislation in these fields are:

• A draft directive on the liberalisation of services in the internal market, proposed in January 2004 and currently in the legislative pipeline

• A directive relating to the recognition of professional qualifications, adopted on June 6th 2005

• A directive on the coordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts in force since April 2004.

European Commission

Directorate General for Internal Market

RUE DE LA LOI 200

B - 1049 Brussels

Belgium

DG Information Society

Commissioner Viviane Reding

This DG is responsible for EU policy on:

• eHealth developments in the European Union Examples of EU activities in these fields are:

• Europe 2005 action plan

• Annual Conferences on eHealth

• Political action calling on governments and the private sector to make better use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Europe’s healthcare system

European Commission

DG Information Society

BU 24 0/41

Rue De La LOI 200

B - 1049 Brussels

Belgium

Dg Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik

This DG is responsible for EU policy on:

• Research and technological development, thereby contributing to the international competitiveness of European industry

• The coordination of European research activities with those carried out at the level of the Member States

• Promoting a better understanding of the role of science in modern societies and stimulating a public debate about research-related issues at European level. Examples of EU activities in these fields are:

• A European Research framework programme (the 7th programme currently in preparation due to start in 2007). The programme helps to organise and financially support cooperation between universities, research centres and industries

• the creation of a European Research Area which is regrouping all Community supports for the better coordination of research activities and the convergence of research and innovation policies, at national and EU levels.