Take your seats: We share the latest on which MEPs will be working on health

Euractiv shares the latest information we have on which MEPs will be working on the health committees in the new parliament. 

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) vote on the list and size of Parliament’s committees, today Wednesday 17 July. The lists of MEPs to be appointed to each committee are decided internally by the political groups and will be announced on Friday 19 July at 9.00 am. Presidents and vice-presidents are expected to be elected next week. Here’s what we know so far:

European People’s Party (EPP)

ENVI – Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Full Members: Stefan Kohler (DE), Peter Liese (DE), Christine Schneider (DE), Oliver Schenk (DE), Bartosz Arlukowicz (PL), Ewa Kopacz (PL), Elżbieta Katarzyna Lukacijewska (PL), Esther Herranz García (ES), Dolors Montserrat Montserrat (ES), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (ES), Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (RO), Massimiliano Salini (IT), Flavio Tosi (IT), Gabriella Gerzsenyi (HU) [Or András Tivadar Kulja (HU)], Radan Kanev (BG), Laurent Castillo (FR), Sander Smit (NL), Ingeborg Ter Laak (NL), Alexander Bernhuber (AT), Jessica Polfjärd (SE), Milan Zver (SL), Pascal Arimont (BE), Roberta Metsola (MT)

Substitute Members:
Jens Gieseke (DE), Norbert Lins (DE), Dennis Radtke (DE), Andrea Wechsler (DE), Hildegard Bentele (DE), Manuela Ripa (DE), Adam Jarubas (PL), Susana Solís Pérez (ES), Carmen Crespo Díaz (ES), Virgil-Daniel Popescu (RO), Adina Valean (RO), Letizia Moratti (IT), Dimitris Tsiodras (GR), Lídia Pereira (PT), Sunčana Glavak (HR), Danuše Nerudová (CZ), Henna Virkkunen (FI), Seán Kelly (IE), Liesbet Sommen (BE), Niels Flemming Hansen (DK), Christophe Hansen (LU)

SANT- Subcommittee on Public Health

Full Members: Peter Liese (DE), Oliver Schenk (DE), Adam Jarubas (PL), Bartosz Arlukowicz (PL), Dolors Montserrat Montserrat (ES), András Tivadar Kulja (HU), Laurent Castillo (FR), Jessica Polfjärd (SE).

Substitute Members: Manuela Ripa (DE), Ewa Kopacz (PL), Elena Nevado Del Campo (ES),Letizia Moratti (IT), Tomislav Sokol (HR), Ingeborg Ter Laak (NL), Luděk Niedermayer (CZ)

Renew

ENVI – Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Full members: Grégory Allione (FR), Stine Bosse (DK), Pascal Canfin (FR), Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (NL), Andreas Glück (DE), Martin Hojsík (SL), Katri Kulmuni (FI), Ana Vasconcelos (PT), Emma Wiesner (FI), Michal Wiezik (SK)
Substitute members: Jeannette Baljeu (NL), Olivier Chastel (BE), Sigrid Friis (DK), Karin Karlsbro (SE), Billy Kelleher (IE), Christine Singer (DE), Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (RO), three remain to be allocated

SANT- Subcommittee on Public Health

Full members: Stine Bosse (DK), Olivier Chastel (BE), Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (RO)
Substitute members: Andreas Glück (DE), Irena Joveva (SL), Billy Kelleher (IE)

Socialist & Democrats (S&D) 

ENVI – Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Full members : Annalisa Corrado (IT), Vytenis Andriukaitis (LT), Sakis Aranaoutoglou (EL), Thomas Bajada (MT), Delara Burkhardt (DE), Mohammed Chahim (NL), Christophe Clergeau (FR), Helene Fritzon (SE), Alessandra Moretti (IT), Camila Laureti (IT), Romana Jercovick (HR), Javi Lopez (ES), Cesar Luena (ES), Gunther Sidl (AT), Marti Temido (PT), Tiemo Wölken (DE), Kristian Vigenin (BG)

Substitute members : Matteo Ricci (IT), Nicolas Gonzalez Casares (ES), Raffaele Topo (IT), Leire Pajin (ES), Thomas Pellerin Carlin (FR), Dan Nica (RO), Victor Negrescu (RO), Christel Schaldemose (DK), Pierre Jouvet (FR), Bruno Goncalves (PT), Maria Noichl (DE), Chloe Ridel (FR), Biljana Borzan (HR), Elena Sancho Murillo (ES), Estelle Ceulemans (BE)

SANT- Subcommittee on Public Health

Full Members: Vytenis Andriukaitis (LT), Christophe Clergeau (FR), Nicolas Gonzalez Casares (ES), Victor Negrescu (RO), Tiemo Wölken (DE), Romana Jercovick (HR)

Substitute Members: Estelle Ceaulemans (BE), Leire Pajin (ES), Alessandra Moretti (IT), Raffaele Topo (IT), Pierre Jouvet (FR), Marta Temido (PT)

ECR

ENVI – Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Full Members: Pietro Fiocchi (IT), Emmanouil Fragkos (GR), Jacek Ozdoba (PL), Michele Picaro (IT), Nicola Procaccini (IT), Claudiu-Richard Târziu (RO), Beatrice Timgren (SE), Aurelijus Veryga (LT), Alexandr Vondra (CZ), Anna Zalewska (PL)

Substitutes: Galato Alexandraki (GR), Adrian-George Axinia (RO), Sergio Berlato (IT), Stefano Cavedagna (IT), Geadis Geadi (CY), Antonella Sberna (IT), Kristoffer Storm  (DK), Laurence Trochu (FR), Jadwiga Wisniewska (PO), Paolo Inselvini (IT)

SANT- Subcommittee on Public Health

Full members: Galato Alexandraki (GR), Michele Picaro (IT), Laurence Trochu (FR)

Substitutes: Ruggero Razza (IT), Aurelijus Veryga (LT), PietroFiocchi (IT)

GREENS

ENVI – Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Full members: Ignazio Roberto Marino (IT), Jutta Paulus (DE), Lena Schilling (AU), Rasmus Nordqvist (DK), Tilly Metz (LU), Pär Holmgren (SE), Majdouline Sbai (FR)

Substitutes: Marie Toussaint (FR), Michael Bloss (DE), Martin Häusling (DE), Bas Eickhout (NL), Sara Matthieu (BE), Maria Ohisalo (FI), Kai Tegethoff (DE)

SANT- Subcommittee on Public Health

Full members: Ignazio Roberto Marino (IT), Tilly Metz (LU)

Substitutes: Majdouline Sbai (FR), one place to be allocated

The Health Brief is taking a summer break, but we will continue to write articles throughout the summer.

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Today’s edition is powered by Eurochild

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Learn what the EU and national governments can do to protect children’s mental health and safety in this report featuring assessments by 32 Eurochild members in 22 countries and territories.

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Other news

WHO reveals that half a million children in the European region are not fully vaccinated

A WHO European region report on child immunisation, reveals that there has been only a partial recovery from the dip in vaccination usage caused  by the COVID pandemic. 

“Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have to save lives and protect our futures,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. “Countries must keep strengthening their immunisation programmes until we meet all the goals set out in the European Immunisation Agenda 2030.”

Two countries stand out in the EU: 

Romania experienced the largest decrease in diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccination between 2022 and 2023, from 85% to 78%. It also had the second-highest number of zero-dose children (33,000), representing about 12% of all zero-dose children in the region.

Germany had the highest number of children who have not received DTP (65,000), representing about 13% of all unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in the EU.

Vaccines Europe told Euractiv that there were several reasons for the decline in vaccination coverage: growing vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation, the discontinuation by the EU Commission-led biennial ‘State of Vaccine Confidence in the EU’ report and the lack of electronic immunisation record systems that assist individuals and health professionals monitor uptake.

UK rolls out vaccination against respiratory virus

The UK will become the first country in the world to have a national programme that uses the same vaccine to protect both newborns and older adults against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). 

In the UK, RSV accounts for around 30,000 hospitalisations in children aged under five and is responsible for 20 to 30 infant deaths. It also causes around 9,000 hospital admissions in those aged over 75.  The government hopes that immunisation could free up thousands of hospital bed days and help to avoid hundreds of deaths each year.

Revamped EU drugs agency makes first trip to Washington  

Just one week after its official inauguration, a delegation from the European Drugs Agency (EUDA) visited Washington DC to meet with US partners, to discuss the agency’s new mandate and potential cooperation within EUDA’s new responsibilities. 

World population projected to peak earlier than expected  

The United Nations released their revised data on the world’s population. The world’s population is now expected to peak in 2084, 2 years earlier than originally predicted. According to Our World in Data’s analysis of the figures, rapidly falling fertility rates are driving the population curve. 

Pathogen prioritization for Olympic and Paralympic games  

EuroSurveillance will be testing the wastewater at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic games to watch for possible outbreaks of six identified pathogens: poliovirus, influenza A&B virus, mpox virus, SARS-CoV-2 and measles virus. If successful, the adoption of wastewater surveillance could be used for other mass gathering events worldwide. 

Philip Morris’ IQOS fined € 900,000 for electronic cigarette advertising  

The Paris Court of Appeal has upheld a fine for propaganda and illegal advertising in favour of tobacco against Philip Morris France (PMF) and Philip Morris Products (PMP) for its heated tobacco device, IQOS. Philip Morris France, described as a repeat offender, was fined €500,000 and Philip Morris Products €400,000. 

Latvia notifies EU of new alcohol laws to reduce consumption

Latvia has notified the Commission of a draft law designed to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. According to data from the OECD ‘Health at a glance 2023’ report, recorded alcohol consumption in Latvia is the highest among the countries of both the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, at 12.1 litres per inhabitant.

Measures proposed in the law include bans of free alcohol in gaming arcades and casinos, limits on the time for selling alcohol, bans on advertising in print, cinemas or online, and promotion, such as “2 for the price of 1” deals.

FDA rejects approval of Novo Nordisk’s weekly insulin injections 

Novo Nordisk application for US FDA approval for icodec’s has been met with a request for more information about the manufacturing process and its use for type 1 diabetes. The Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee found the benefit-risk data for type 1 diabetes to be insufficient. Novo Nordisk does not expect to meet the FDA’s requests in 2024.   

Development continues for Pfizer’s weight loss drug  

Pfizer’s GLP-1 receptor agonist Danuglipron medicine obesity treatment will undergo dose optimization studies to further its research on the preferred once-a-day formulation to compete in the oral GLP-1 space.   

Parallel imports and the role of pharmacies still unresolved in pharma package negotiations

The ongoing pharma package negotiations were marked by Belgium’s focus on combating medicine shortages and shaping the incentives system for new medicines development. Key issues remain in play for Hungary, including parallel imports.

Europe-wide class action against Philips to reach out to over a million potential claimants

Global Justice Network (GJN) and Italian consumer rights organisation ADUSBEF are promoting a “first-ever Europe-wide class action” against Philips, reaching out to over a million potential claimants who have used the Dutch company’s ventilators suspected of releasing harmful chemicals.

‘Forever chemical’ in water far above limits set in future EU water law, NGO finds

NGO Pesticide Action Network Europe found that a ‘forever chemical’ present in 94% of surface water and 63% of bottled water samples far exceeds limits set in the revised drinking water directive.

EPP’s Liese calls for urgent revision of EU’s Medical Devices Regulation

Ahead of next week’s European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, German Conservative MEP Peter Liese (CDU, EPP) outlined his centre-right group’s priorities for the new term, including the urgent revision of the EU’s Medical Devices Regulation.

News from the capitals

STOCKHOLM
Swedish maternity care is failing to meet expected quality criteria standards. According to an alarming new report, only one of the 45 Swedish maternity units passed all of the health inspectorate’s examinations. Read more.

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SOFIA
Bulgaria agrees to pay pharmacists higher fees, avoiding protest threat. The Bulgarian government has averted large-scale pharmacy protests, agreeing to pay higher fees to pharmacies supplying patients with free medicines. Protests were threatened over government plans to cut already low fees. Read more.

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WARSAW
Poland explores xenotransplantation to overcome organ transplant shortages. 

Political interference risks the independence of a leading Slovak health institute. Without formal discussion, the Slovak parliament rushed through an amendment changing leadership and funding criteria – the institute’s future now depends on a Constitutional Court ruling.  Read more.

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BRATISLAVA
Political interference risks Slovak health technology authority’s independence. 

Political interference risks the independence of a leading Slovak health institute. Without formal discussion, the Slovak parliament rushed through an amendment changing leadership and funding criteria – the institute’s future now depends on a Constitutional Court ruling.  Read more. 

17 July: Coreper I   

17 July: EU General Court rules on full, unedited, access to the Commission’s advance purchase agreements for COVID-19 vaccines

17 July: Second day of tenth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) for a WHO instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

18 July: Publication of first report from UK’s COVID inquiry, London  

19 July: Working Party on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices  

21-27 July:  European Health Observatory Venice Summer School’s on Healthcare Crisis Workshop, Venice and online 

22-24 July: Committee for Herbal Medicine Products (HMPC), European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam 

22-25 July: Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam 

23-26 July: Paediatric Committee (PDCO), European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam  

24-25 July: Informal meeting of health ministers (EPSCO), Budapest

*Martina Bardini, Haven Dager, Catherine Feore and Jeremias Lin contributed to this brief.

Read more with Euractiv