A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN OUR HANDS - To Parent Directory

Public health© CorbisWhat the EU’s doingThe EU has a recognised responsibility to ensure a high level ofhealth protection. An article in the EC Treaty, which establishedthe EU, says action shall be directed at improving public health bypreventing human illness and diseases and reducing the dangersto human health. Health and consumer protection are closelyrelated and food safety and alerts in case of danger are somethingthe EU takes seriously.At a national level, governments’ actions to protect their citizensare supported and reinforced by the EU’s policies. While countrieshave their own laws on public health, the EU is working tomake sure doctors, nurses and other professionals can move fromcountry to country easily and work wherever they are needed.Patients also need to be able to move around Europe to find thehealth care that best suits their needs.Here are some of the EU’s aims:• Making sure that by 2020 chemicals, including pesticides,are produced, handled and used safely• Working to reduce the inequalities in life expectancy andcurbing lifestyle-related diseases, such as alcoholism andobesity in EU countries• Developing strategies to deal with health threats quicklyand efficiently• Bringing down suicide rates and improving mental healththroughout the EU• Tightening the laws concerning our food and also the feedwe give to animals. This is where hygiene and labellingcome in• Making sure that animal welfare standards are high in theEU and outsideFrom legislating on the use and production of chemicals to coordinatingresponses to emergencies, the EU has a raft of measuresin place. Here are just some examples:048