First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events

1. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events Contribution to the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health – Italy 2009 Benedetta Dell'AnnoMinistry for the Environment, Land and SeaDepartment for Environmental Research and DevelopmentDivision V - Environmental Research and EU Policy Coordination

2. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events From Frankfurt to Rome: 20 years of Environment and Health Ministerial Conferences (1989-2009) To build bridges between the health and environment sectors in dealing with the impacts of environmental problems on human health 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

3. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events • 1989 Frankfurt MC: adoption of the European Charter on E&H and establishment of the WHO European Center on E&H • 1994 Helsinki MC: adoption of E&H Action Plan for Europe and establishment of European E&H Committee (EEHC) • 1999 London MC: legally binding Protocol on Water and Health (to the Convention on the Protection and Use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes) and European Charter on Transport, Environment and Health • 2004 Budapest MC: endorsement of the Children’s E&H Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) and Ministerial Declaration • 2009 Italy……. 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

4. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events Vienna - June 2007: Intergovernmental Midterm Review IMR Recommendations • to keep the Budapest commitments and to further implement the CEHAPE • to address the needs of other vulnerable groups besides youth and children • to address social inequity in environment and health as well as the gender issue • to focus on the special needs of the NIS and SEE countries • To promote working with new stakeholders (local authorities, private sector etc) • To improve and strengthen the communication with the public 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

5. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events ……and to focus and prioritize the topics in the next phase such as: • Climate change • Economic implications of the burden of disease arising from environmental factors (e.g. cost of inaction) • Health in all policies [..Rome Declaration Dec 07..] 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

6. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events The role of the EEHC in the pan-European E&H process The EEHC is an international committee made up of MS, WHO, UNECE, EC (DG Sanco+DG ENV), EEA, OCDE, NGOs etc. responsible, inter alia, for steering the preparations of the Fifth Ministerial Conference on E&H Bonn meeting – EECH decisions (October 07): high level preparatory meetings+ smaller drafting and technical meetings to assess the progress in CEHAPE implementation and to gather and discuss the priorities identified by MS Elected Chairpersons: Mr Iversson for Health sector (Norway) and Mr Clini for Environment sector (Italy) Milan- First High level Preparatory meeting (March 08) Second High level Preparatory meeting to be held in Spain (Autumn 08) Third High level Preparatory meeting to be held in Germany (Spring 09) 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

7. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events Milan - March 2008: EEHC Conclusions • Climate change as a framing issue, global as well as regional • National contributions to the process • Strengthen integration between H&E policies in adaptation strategies • Side event on protocol water and health at the 2009 Conference (? tbd) 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

8. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events Which contribution of this task force towards the Fifth Ministerial Conference on 2009? 21-22 April 2008 – Rome

9. First meeting of the Task Force on Extreme Weather Events Thanks for your kind attention.. dellanno.benedetta@minambiente.it 21-22 April 2008 – Rome