Greek Health Minister Spyridon Adonis Georgiadis presented at the Health Council in Brussels, on 10 December 2013,  the priorities of the Greek Presidency in the field of health for the next six months.

 

Minister Georgiadis said the Greek Presidency will prioritize the progress of a number of important legislative proposals in the field of health, pharmaceutical and medical devices, while non legislative work will aim at promoting successfully implemented initiatives towards more efficient health care systems and better public health.

 

Legislative priorities of the Greek Presidency in the field of health will include issues related to tobacco products, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance fees and  transparency directive, while Presidency's primary aim is to see significant progress on the issue of medical devices.

 

Non-Legislative priorities will include (a) the economic crisis and its impact on healthcare and health systems, (b) migration and public health, (c) nutrition and physical activity, and (d) eHealth and health innovation.

 

More specifically, elaborating on the proposals for medical devices, Minister Georgiadis underlined that it's an issue of high political importance and a top priority for the Greek Presidency in the field of health. These proposals will build trust between consumers/users, health professionals and economic operators and will provide a legislative framework for the manufacture and placing on the market of medical devices, while ensuring a high level of health protection. The Greek Presidency is committed to making substantial progress on these proposals in order to reach an agreement as soon as possible. The same effort will be made so that issues regarding tobacco, clinical trials and pharmacovigilance fees are dealt with soon, the Minister said.