|
 |
| News | |
| |
| |
| |
|
Commission looks at the issue of the reprocessing of single-use medical devices
On 27 August 2010, the Commission adopted a report on the reprocessing of medical devices in the European Union. It looks in particular at the practice of reprocessing of medical devices which are intended for single use, such as needles, syringes or catheters. The practice is not currently regulated at EU level. Earlier, the Commission had asked for an independent scientific opinion on the issue. On this basis the report concludes that the reprocessing practice may not be without risks. The Commission will assess how the current EU law on medical devices can be reviewed to ensure a high level of protection for the patients.
Read the full report
|
|
|
|
Alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics: public consultation launched
On 23 July 2010, the Commission launched a public consultation on a draft report concerning alternative methods in cosmetic testing. Comments are sought on alternatives available in testing for certain health-related effects covered by the 2013 deadline for the marketing ban on animal-tested cosmetics. The public consultation ends on 15 October 2010. This is a part of the process to phase out animal testing of cosmetic ingredients. The testing ban on finished cosmetic products applies since 2004 and on ingredients since 2009. The marketing ban applies since March 2009 with the exception of testing for three kinds of human health-related effects, for which the deadline is March 2013. By the end of 2010, the Commission will report on the availability of and prospects for the alternatives to testing for these three types of effects.
View consultation documents
|
|
|
|
Help us evaluate our e-shopping clip
Have you seen the clip on online shopping made by DG Health and Consumers? Would you like to help us check how good it is? We value your opinion. If you wish to take part, please click though to our survey (available in English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish and Danish). The survey takes less than ten minutes to fill in and will help us improve the way in which we communicate our consumer policy.
Haven’t seen the clip yet? Have a look
Fill in the survey:
|
|
|
|
Holiday season: European Consumer Centres working to help and advise consumers
Consumers who have a dispute with a trader based in another EU or EEA country can turn to a European Consumer Centre (ECC) in their country for help and advice. This includes problems with airline travel, package holidays or car rental. The network of ECCs, supported by the European Commission, operates in every EU country as well as Norway and Iceland and handles over 60,000 cases annually. ECCs offers free legal advice to consumers who have not been able to resolve their complaint with the trader. They can also help solve the case by contacting the trader and their counterparts in another EU/EEA country. Under EU law, consumers enjoy a clear set of rights as air passengers (in case of problems such as cancellations, overbooking or lost luggage).
When purchasing a package holiday from any EU-based tour operator or travel agency (e.g. a combination of a flight and a hotel at an inclusive price), EU consumers have a range of additional rights.
Find an ECC near you
Holiday season: tips for consumers
EU air passenger rights
Package holidays: what rights for EU consumers?
|
|
|
|
On 16 July the Commission adopted a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, which outlines areas where future possible changes to EU TSE-related measures could be made. The document –"
The TSE Road Map 2
– A strategy paper on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies for 2010-2015" – underlines that any amendment should maintain the EU's high level of protection of human and animal health and of food safety and should be backed by solid science. The Road Map is a reflection paper that opens up dialogue on the issue.
|
|
|
|
EU's new approach on GMO cultivation
On July 13 2010, the Commission adopted a comprehensive proposal that provides this freedom to the Member States. The EU's existing science-based authorisation system remains unaffected. The proposal also provides for non-binding guidelines that better reflect the possibilities already available to the Member States to adopt measures in order to avoid the unintended presence of GMOs in conventional and organic crops. In a nutshell, the comprehensive proposal represent the Commission's new flexible approach on GMO cultivation, which takes into consideration Member States desires, but also retains the basis of solid science for any GMO authorisation.
|
|
|
|
International Product Safety Week 2010, 1-3 December 2010
The European Commission is organising events under the umbrella of the 3rd International Product Safety Week in Brussels, from 1 to 3 December 2010. As in the past years, this week comprises a series of conferences and meetings bringing together a broad range of (non-food) consumer product safety professionals from around the world, representing regulators, businesses,
consumer organisations, standard makers and test laboratories, academics, etc.
|
|
|
|
EU Open Health Forum conference: "Together for Health - a Strategy for the EU 2020" (Brussels, 29-30 June 2010) - Register now!
The conference will mark an important step towards strengthening the involvement of all stakeholders in contributing to the development and implementation of actions and activities to protect and improve the health of European citizens.
|
|
|
|
Conference "Global Health - Together we can make it happen", Brussels, 10-11 June 2010
The objectives of the conference are to present the European Commission Communication on Global Health and to discuss key challenges, goals, policy instruments and partnerships with stakeholders and global partners to see how the EU can most effectively engage with all actors to improve health at global level.
|
|
|
|
Expo 2010: Health and Consumers website
Expo 2010 takes place in Shanghai, China from 1 May to 31 October. The theme of the event is "Better city, better life". The EU is staging an exhibition at the event based on the theme of "Intelligent Europe" which takes in the sub-themes of "Open Europe", "Green Europe" and "Living Europe". The Expo offers a great opportunity to present EU policies and projects to thousands of stakeholders and millions of visitors.
Please click on the icon to enter the website and find out more...
|
|
|
|
Info-Day on Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF), 07 June 2010
In view of the launch of new calls for tenders, the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers is organising an INFODAY in Brussels on 7 June.
All relevant information and access to links for registration are available at the following web address: www.btsf.eu or http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/food/index.html.
Direct link to the registration platform provided by the contractor is http://info-day-on-btsf.evenium.com.
|
|
|
|
Conference on "Financial Literacy: Dolceta
In this high level event we will discuss financial literacy as a lesson to draw from the financial crisis. We will also present the new Dolceta section on financial literacy for teachers |
|
|
|
The Commisssion and the Mediterranean Member States discussed control and eradication of red palm weevil
A strategy to control and eradicate the red palm weevil, an insect which attacks palm trees, was discussed by experts from all affected Member States and the Commission during a conference in Valencia, Spain on 5 and 6 May 2010.
To learn more click here.
|
|
|
|
Consultation on the General Product Safety Legislative Initiative
The framework set up under the two successive General Product Safety Directives - Directive 92/59/EC and 2001/95/EC - has built up, in almost two decades, a system that fosters a general culture that all consumer products must be safe, and integrates the role of European standards for otherwise non-harmonised products. However, recurrent product safety alerts, either of global or regional relevance, have made it clear that we need a system that delivers more rapidly, efficiently and consistently throughout the EU and which, at the same time, is flexible enough to adapt to the challenges of globalisation and continue to contribute to the EU internal market of safe products.
To meet these challenges DG Health & Consumers has launched a public consultation on the revision of the current General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC.
Please note that the closing date for the consultation was postponed from 30 July to 20 August 2010
|
|
|
|
The Directorate General for Health and Consumers will hold a Roundtable on the Revision of Meat Inspection on Tuesday, 18 May 2010.
The meeting is a first exchange of views with all relevant parties (Member States, private stakeholders, third countries, CODEX Alimentarius)
on the future of meat inspection and will be followed by additional working group meetings. This first meeting is intended to provide a state of
play on current practical experiences, including new challenges encountered, and relevant background information.
The conference will start at 10 a.m. To follow the conference on 18 May by web streaming please click here.
|
|
|
|
EU-wide complaints reporting to speed up policy response to failing markets
On 12 May, the European Commission adopted a recommendation introducing an EU-wide method for classifying and reporting consumer complaints to be used by complaint bodies on a voluntary basis. The method is expected to deliver comparable complaints data that will provide crucial evidence as to which parts of the Internal Market are underperforming for EU consumers. This, in turn, will allow for a quicker and better targeted policy response at both national and EU level. Consumer complaints are a key indicator of market health. There are more than 700 organisations handling consumer complaints in Europe. But they use different classifications. As a result, comparison and overview are not possible, even at the national level. To facilitate the adoption of the method, the Commission will provide technical assistance such as free software.
Press release
(PDF version )
Recommendation
Staff working document
High level conference
|
|
|
|
Data Strategy - March 2010 Workshop on Data Partnerships
DG SANCO launched its Data Strategy project in 2009 to identify good practice on and key challenges to data collection,
analysis, use and dissemination. In this context, it held a workshop on 17 March 2010 with stakeholders and institutional partners to
discuss the principles of efficient and mutually beneficial cooperation on data. For more information,
click here.
|
|
|
|
Directorate-General for Health and Consumers' Statement on the Icelandic Volcanic cloud
Icelandic volcanic cloud: to know more about your rights as travellers click here or about health risk assessment, click here.
|
|
|
|
10 years for healthier, safer and more confident consumers
Directorate General for Health and Consumers turns 10 years old this autumn. To mark this occasion, a special video has been prepared. While it presents main achievements of the European Union in the areas of public health, food safety and consumer affairs, it also offers both historical perspective and insight in the future from Commissioners Kuneva and Vassiliou, as well as other important actors.
 Watch full video
|
|
|
| |
| | |
|
|
