HEALTH AND CONSUMERS : ORGANS, HEALTH INEQUALITIES & CONSUMER HEAD SPANISH PRIORITIES.

The Spanish EU Presidency has set out three main priorities for public health. Health inequalities, human organs and chronic diseases are high on its agenda. On the first priority, Spain will organise an expert conference in April ahead of the informal Health Council on 22-23 April. According to sources, the "main challenge" is to agree on "better indicators" and improved health information systems across the European Union to make it easier to identify inequalities in the first place.

Madrid is hoping to reach a political agreement on the organs directive proposal' at the Health Council on 8 June. Proposed in December 2008, this aims to improve the quality and safety measures for organ donations and the exchange of organs between member states. In March, the Spanish will organise an expert conference on the issue in Madrid. The draft is currently at first reading stage. While some member states disagree with the directive's legal basis and want to ensure that the current text does not overlap with national competences, the main problem is a shortage of organs and that is a national...