EAPM: Parliament pushes for more public-friendly plenaries, EU-US Trade and Tech Council promises key work on health, EU cancer disinformation and more…

Good morning, health colleagues, and welcome to the first European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) update of the week - EAPM’s progress through the first half of 2021 has been solid, with the second half also picking up pace, as we turn the legislative pages of July into August, writes EAPM Executive Director Denis Horgan.

EAPM set to finalize three health papers

During August and onwards, EAPM will be finalizing three papers in the next months on the IVDR legislative revision, NGS/Molecular diagnostic implementation and the EU beating Cancer Plan, as well as the issues related to real-world evidence linked to the EU Health Data space and other policy dossiers.

More interesting times for Parliament 

European Parliament President David Sassoli, meanwhile, wants MEPs to think about their institution’s future — and perhaps his own. “Time to rethink parliamentary democracy and our work,” he tweeted, adding that he aims to strengthen the institution with an exercise in self-affirmation, for post-COVID times and with the mid-term of the legislative period in clear sight. Sassoli wants Parliament to be engaged in a “broad reflection,” said an official from the institution, about the things it holds dear, including how to increase influence and visibility.

To that end, Sassoli launched a discussion process with five “focus groups” that he expects will deliver results before the summer break. Topics to be discussed, according to officials familiar with the exercise, include reforming the plenary sessions and ways to “foster dynamic debates.” MEPs are also invited to come up with ideas about how to strengthen the institution’s weight in a second focus group talking about Parliament’s prerogatives — that means “legislative and scrutiny powers and oversight, access to information and documents, and budgetary control,” said one official.

And a new report from the European Parliament’s Beating Cancer Committee does not distinguish between cigarettes and novel tobacco products on key points, signalling a tighter position on tobacco control, with some lawmakers already mobilizing to challenge this. Once passed, the report by the BECA committee will serve as the institution’s position on the European Commission’s landmark Beating Cancer Plan. The plan aims to tighten tobacco control, as smoking continues to be one of the main risk factors for cancer deaths, causing 700,000 fatalities across the EU each year.

Last chance for EHDS feedback

On 3 May, the European Commission published a public consultation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS), which remained open until yesterday (26 July). As a policy initiative, the EHDS aims to provide a common framework across EU member states for the sharing and exchange of quality health data such as electronic health records, patient registries, and genomic data, in order to support healthcare delivery, but also to facilitate health research, policymaking, and legislation. Split into three sections: access and use of personal health data, digital health services and products, and Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, the consultation aims to gauge which policy options are preferred for the implementation of the EHDS. The legislative proposal resulting from this consultation is expected to be adopted in the fourth quarter of 2021. So today (27 July) is the last day for companies, lobbies, and associations to tell the Commission what they think about its upcoming legislation. The Commission will have to find the right balance between granting enough access to health data to boost innovation while keeping that data safe and private. 

AMR progress report

The European Commission has published its 5th progress report on the implementation of the European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which was adopted in June 2017. The key objectives of this plan are built on three main pillars: making the EU a best practice region; boosting research, development and innovation as well as shaping the global agenda. Addressing AMR through a One Health approach is also a priority for this Commission, as flagged in Commissioner Kyriakides’ Missionletter in November 2019. The progress report shows that a number of AMR initiatives have been continued or put in place in recent months. For example, the Commission has adopted in the EU Farm to Fork Strategy a target aiming to reduce by 50% the overall EU sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture by 2030. This objective will be supported by the implementation of the recent Regulations on Veterinary Medicinal Products and on Medicated Feed for which implemented and delegated acts are currently being drafted.

EU-US Trade and Tech Council to start in September

Following European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joe Biden’s launch of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) at the US-EU Summit in Brussels in June, the TTC, from September, will serve as a forum for the United States and European Union to co-ordinate approaches to key global trade, economic, and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on shared democratic values. This new Council will meet periodically at political level to steer the co-operation, and will, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, also seek to find ways for the United States and the EU to collaborate on cutting-edge health-care research and development. 

European Commission Executive Vice-President and Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: “We have common democratic values and we want to translate them into tangible action on both sides of the Atlantic. To work for a human centered digitisation and open and competitive markets. I very much look forward. This is a great step for our renewed partnership.”

EU digitalization

As part of a greater regional digital transformation strategy, the EU is working to (1) build a supportive ecosystem for emerging technologies; (2) develop regional digital infrastructure; (3) identify shared resources to invest in digitalization; (4) and amplify the region’s voice on digital policy matters in the European Union (EU) and the transatlantic relationship. Digitalization can serve as an economic multiplier by creating efficiencies in non-digital sectors. Institutionalizing interoperable digital solutions to cross-border commerce will allow the region to increase its economic efficiency and long-term competitiveness. But structural challenges are harming that economic potential. Labor shortages, wage and inflation pressures, and lagging home-grown innovation remain key problems that hamper economic—and digital—development. Data show the EU needs to catch up. The workforce lacks essential digital skills, and CEE companies lag behind those in other European countries in integrating digital solutions.

EU cancer disinformation

The European Cancer Organization congratulates the European Commission for its recognition of the great social harms that are created by online disinformation and its resolve to play an active role in combatting the most serious impacts via initiatives such as the Code of Practice on Disinformation. Disinformation can impact cancer care in many ways. Partially false, or misleading information about cancer treatments are common, and belief in health misinformation/disinformation may negatively alter a person’s cancer trajectory by influencing their medical decision making. Social media platforms are often a nexus for the spread of such disinformation. As an example, one research exercise found that of the 20 most shared articles on Facebook in 2016 with the word ‘cancer’ in the headline, more than half the reports were discredited by doctors and health authorities 

Good news to finish - EU vaccinates 70% of adults with one shot

The EU today (27 July) hit its summer target of vaccinating 70% percent of its adults against COVID-19 — depending on how you count it.

Seventy percent of adults in the EU have received one dose, while 57% are fully vaccinated, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.

Von der Leyen credited the EU with delivering on vaccines after a rocky start earlier this year, stating: “The EU has kept its word and delivered.”

“The catch-up process has been very successful — but we need to keep up the effort,” she wrote in a statement. “The delta variant is very dangerous. I therefore call on everyone — who has the opportunity — to be vaccinated.”

The EU’s goal has been a moving target. The Commission wanted 70% of adults vaccinated by the end of September, although it later indicated that this could happen in July. Earlier this month, the EU executive said countries have enough jabs to fully vaccinate their populations, but today’s announcement is based on one shot. 

That is all from EAPM for now – make sure you stay safe and well and have an excellent week, see you on Friday.

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