Commission approves €643 million consumer and health programmes

The European Commission adopted proposals for the Health for Growth Programme and Consumer Programme.

“Their aim is to foster a Europe of healthy, active, informed and empowered citizens, who can contribute to economic growth,” the Commission said.

The new programmes will run from 2014-2020 with a budget of €446 million for the Health for Growth Programme and €197 million for the Consumer Programme: “Focus will be on fewer concrete actions that offer clear EU added-value.”

Announcing the programmes, EU Commissioner John Dalli said that the people are at the heart of both programmes.

“These two programmes are about people; about fostering the conditions for people to live to their full potential and play a key role in society and in the economy,” Dalli said. “Keeping people healthy and active for longer is good for people and is good for jobs and growth. Confident, empowered consumers create thriving markets.

“I am confident the two programmes will make a significant contribution to achieving Europe 2020 goals – to create smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by the end of this decade.”

The commission said that theHealth for Growth Programme will support and complement the work of Member States in achieving better and sustainable health systems and at the same time protect and inform citizens on disease prevention.

This will be achieved by developing innovative and sustainable health systems, increasing access to better and safer healthcare for citizens, promoting health and preventing disease andprotecting citizens from cross-border health threats.

TheConsumer Programme will support EU consumer policy in the years to come. Its objective is to place consumers at the centre of the Single Market and empower them to participate actively in the market and make it work for them.

This will mainly be achieved by enhancing product safety through effective market surveillance, improving consumers' information, education and awareness of their rights, consolidating consumer rights and strengthening effective redress, especially through alternative dispute resolution and strengthening enforcement of rights cross-border.

Both programmes form part of the EU's financial priorities for 2014-2020 (the EU Multiannual Financial Framework), which was announced by the European Commission in June.

The proposals will now be discussed by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers - with a view to adoption by the end of 2013 - to allow for the start of the new health and consumer programmes in 2014.