Sustainable development: EU “strategy”The EU Sustainable Development Strategy adopted in 2006 addresses seven priority areas: climate change and clean energy; sustainable transport; sustainable consumption and production; conservation and management of natural resources; public health; social inclusion, demography and migration and global poverty. On July 24, following the request of the European Council, the Commission submitted a report that takes stock of the progress in these areas by the EU. Accordingly, “in recent years the EU has mainstreamed sustainable development into a broad range of its policies”, and “it has taken the lead in the fight against climate change and the promotion of a low-carbon economy”. The report – that will be the object of debate within the EU – acknowledges that “unsustainable trends persist in the EU in several areas”. Commission President José Manuel Barroso launched a reflection on the strategy’s development: “This review highlights the progress we have made over the last three years and the areas where further work is needed. The economic crisis creates a unique opportunity to create a new sustainable economy through smart green growth. I hope this review will stimulate reflection on how best to make progress on areas like energy consumption in the transport area, declining biodiversity and degradation of our ecosystem”. EU measures implemented in this field include the 2008 climate and energy package actions for greening of transport. The report can be found athttp://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/welcome/index_en.htm.Alzheimer: four main areas of action There are currently over seven million people with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders in Europe and it is predicted that this number will double in the next 20 years. “It is vital to plan, invest and cooperate in this field today both to control the social costs of these diseases as well as to offer hope, dignity and healthier lives to the millions of sufferers and their families”. A few days ago the European Commission adopted concrete proposals to tackle Alzheimer’s disease, dementias and other neurodegenerative conditions. “These shared health and social challenges in Europe call for coordinated actions to ensure efficient prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for those affected.” In 2005, the total direct and informal care costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were estimated at 130billion in the EU27. The Commission calls upon Member States to engage in four main areas of action: acting early to diagnose dementia and to reduce the risk of dementia in the first place; improving research coordination between EU countries; sharing of best practice and “providing a forum to reflect on rights, autonomy and dignity of patients”. Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potoènik said: “We want to help research play a bigger role in tackling such societal challenges as Alzheimer’s and related disorders. The Commission already has a track record of supporting European research projects with the best scientists in this area. But we will see a major step ahead if Member States now start coordinating their national programmes around a common agenda”. Food safety: RASFF’s 30th birthday The EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) will turn thirty this year. The system’s annual report for 2008, notes that the total number of notifications remained stable at around 7,000, but only 528 alerts – reduced by half compared to 2007 – required immediate action. There ensues that “many food safety risks have been averted before they could do any harm to consumers”, the Commission declared. The majority of alert notifications in 2008 (62%) related to products originating in the EU, while the remaining regarded products non originating in EU Countries. “Among the most frequently reported risks found in food or feed were potentially pathogenic micro-organisms, heavy metals and mycotoxins”. Real-time cooperation, prevention, communication and research are the main tools employed by RASFF. Among other cases identified, mineral oil was discovered in sunflower oil from Ukraine (39 countries concerned), melamine was found in foods from China (incident with global impact, 84 RASFF notifications and 101 follow-up notifications) and dioxins were traced in pork from Ireland (54 countries concerned and 230 follow-up notifications).
