Presentation of EUREGHA ASBL

1. Presentation of EUREGHA ASBL 09-11-2011 Pomorskie Office

2. AGENDA • Background – importance of health for regions • What is EUREGHA? • Objectives of EUREGHA • How is EUREGHA organised? • Who can be member? • Next steps and deadlines

3. 1.BACKGROUND • Health is an important priority policy for regions as well as regional and local authorities ! • Art. 168 TEU as legal basis for competences of the EC in health limited and mostly reduced to complementing national health policy! • BUT in many EU-Member States the regions are implementing health- policy: • therefore EU-Health policy and legislation may have a very important impact on the regions and their health-authorities. • EU-Health policy should understand the impacts of EU-health policy on the regions • EU-Health policy has to take into consideration the needs of European regions as regards health-policy • Regions have to learn about EU-health policy • Regions have to make themselves heard! • Regions have to create synergies between themselves! • Growing future important concerns for regions about demographic issues and the financial sustainability of health systems • Concerns of the regions should be converted into EU actions to the benefit of Europe

4. 2. What is EUREGHA? • Forum for EUropean REGional and local Health Authorities focused on public health • Created in January 2006 (until now more than 100 regions), turns into ASBL (non profit organisation) in 2012

5. 3. Objectives of EUREGHA • Stressing the local and regional perspectives of health and social affairs in the EU context • Lobbying of regional and local interests vis a vis the EU institutions • Cooperation and creating synergies between regions and regional and local health authorities • Providing of tailored, immediate and updated information • Exchange of good practices • Informing about calls as well as project partner searches as regards EU– funding • Joint events, conferences and missions  • Supporting regional and local health organs as well as representations

6. 4. How is EUREGHA organised? • Structure • Permanent small Secretariat based in Brussels (staff to support activities + interns) • General Assembly (management organ, all members represented, meeting twice a year) • Executive Board (10 members selected at GA on specific criteria) • Working Groups (existing: cancer, mental health, cross-border healthcare, coming up: e-health, new ones?) • Policy Coordination Meetings with Brussels-based offices to support the works of ASBL

7. How is EUREGHA organised? • Membership fee 5000€ per year for first year for all members (reviewed after 1st year; not used fees will be paid back)

8. 5. Who can be member? • Regional and local health Ministers or equivalent representatives with a portfolio in health; • General Directors of local and regional health authorities • The regional and local authorities competent to develop and implement policy and initiatives in health, public health, health care of countries of the European Union, or countries that are members of a European free trade agreement. • Brussels-based regional and local representative offices. • Brussels-based representative offices of local and regional health authorities. • Associations of sub-national authorities with activities on health.

9. End of November 2011 Mid-December 2011 End of January 2012 deadline for interested regions to join confirmation of members joining the ASBL signature of statutes 1st constitutive General Assembly 6. Next steps and deadlines

10. Contact: Mrs. Ilse Penders-Stadlmann Tel: +32-2-549 06 60 Email: ilse.penders-stadlmann@noel.gv.at More information at: www.euregha.net

11. Questions & Answers

12. Results of EUREGHA 2009-2011 Collaboration with CoR: • Participation to the meetings and shaping of the agenda together with CoR and Assembly of European Regions (AER) of the Technical Platform – communication platform between the CoR and DG SANCO • 2011 creation of a new CoR interregional group on health issues – secretariat held by EUREGHA Participation in European Fora • European Health Policy Forum (Board member) • Gastein Forum and Young Gastein – special fees and early information on programme and topics • Regular meetings with SANCO contacts and the chair of EUREGHA Participation in projects - EUREGENAS: large-scale project on suicide prevention within the framework of the Working Group on Mental Health Participation in Joint Actions - 2010: European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC) - Focus on screening. Creation of a EUREGHA Working Group to give inputs to the EPAAC package on screening. Collaboration with other networks • EHTEL-AER-EUREGHA: November 2010: e-health in Europe´s regions: Acting for citizens´health symposium. • EuroHealthNet meeting: June 2011 “How are regions involved in efforts to tackle health inequalities?” – EUREGHA participation with a speaker

13. Results of EUREGHA 2009-2011 Events: Open days, E-Health weeks in Barcelona and Budapest, co-organised events Responses to • 2010: CoR Consultation on the evaluation of the Health Strategy (response from chair) • 2010: Consultation on the 5th report on Cohesion Policy • 2010: EUREGHA response to the consultation on future research and innovation programmes • 2011: EUREGHA Comments on the “Future of the future Public Health Programme”. • 2011: EUREGHA contribution to report of SURE Committee (amendments proposed to MEPs) Internal activities • EUREGHA online survey about health problems, healthy lifestyles, healthy environments to map the priorities and good practices of EUREGHA members in order to focus the activities of the network on their priorities and improve the lobbying strategy. • E-Health database: inventory of regional best practices from EUREGHA members • Regular updates of EUREGHA´s website • Meetings with the current EU presidencies on their priorities for health Working Groups (WG) within EUREGHA: mental health, cancer, cross-border healthcare, upcoming: e-health, new ones?