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Presentation APHEIS (Powerpoint)
Presentation DG Environment (Powerpoint) |
Presentation City Dep people (powerpoint) |
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| Minutes (DRAFT 10.06.2005) The closing meeting of the APHEIS project was hosted by the Emissions and Health Unit of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (Joint Research Centre) on 26 and 27 May 2005 in Ispra, Italy. Besides the members of the APHEIS network and participants of the JRC, several DGs dealing with the issue of air pollution and health participated actively in the meeting. Specifically, DG SANCO, DG Research, and DG Environment actively contributed to the meeting. The programme included presentation from the EHU/IES/JRC, the APHEIS network, DG ENV (CAFÉ Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution and Environment and Health programme), DG Research (Directorate Environment), DG SANCO (Public Health Programme). A discussion on the future of the APHEIS network followed during the second day of the meeting. The following presentations were made: - Emile de Saeger (DG JRC) outlined the importance of the meeting regarding the potential of the APHEIS network to serve as a platform for policy making on air pollution and health issues. - Nikos Stilianakis (DG JRC) made an introduction on the issue of science/policy interface and the difficulties associated with the translation of scientific results into a language that assists policy makers to develop efficient policies. The talk also reviewed the public health benefits that resulted from the reduction of air pollution levels, and stressed further research needs. - Sylvia Medina (APHEIS coordinator) gave a talk about the purpose, structure, methods and the results of the APHEIS project. APHEIS is a public health surveillance system that aims to provide European, national regional and local decision makers, environmental health professionals and the general public with up to date information on air pollution and public health. A new health impact assessment of 26 European cities was performed. To do so APHEIS developed guidelines for the collection and the analysis of data on air pollution and the impact on public health. APHEIS performed an analysis of the acute and chronic health effects attributed to fine particles in 19 cities measuring PM10. Different scenarios of the health impact assessment were run. The results showed that current levels of air pollution in urban Europe continue to have an impact on public health. Further preventive measures are needed even in cities with currently low levels of air pollution. She presented some examples of achievements and demonstrated how efficient a network on the surveillance of health effects from air pollution could be to support decision-making. - Giulio Gallo (DG SANCO) presented the current Public Health Programme of DG SANCO. He explained the procedure of the attribution of projects (calls for applications, evaluation and funding). He also showed the distribution of topics based on the currently funded projects, indicating that the majority of them is on outdoor air pollution, followed by noise and surprisingly very little on indoor air pollution. - Andre Zuber (DG ENV) presented the state of play regarding the development of the Clean Air for Europe strategy (CAFÉ). He presented the current CAFÉ methodology and outlined the perspectives and future needs. He emphasised that the Commision’s goal is to develop a Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution that is currently under review. He presented the main elements of this strategy, which yet has to be adopted by the Commission. - Scott Brockett (DG ENV) presented the views of the DG ENV on the development of an Environment and Health Information System for the EU within the framework of the Environment and Health Strategy adopted by the Commission and Parliament last year. He presented the current state of play and what are the needs for the development of a successful E&H information system in Europe. He emphasised the importance of the use of exposure assessment and health impact assessment for such a system. - Marialuisa Tamborra (DG RTD) presented the current activities of DG RTD on environment and health issues, within the framework of the FP6. She also outlined the importance of risk assessment and health impact assessment for environment and health aspects. She also indicated the perspectives of environmental health research within the framework of the FP7. This will be an important research issue under FP7. - Robert Field (JRC/IES/ EHU) presented the results of the PEOPLE study on exposure assessment of benzene, performed in several European cities. This study focused on the relationship existing between ambient air levels and human exposure. The results also showed the importance and potential of awareness raising aspects in this study. - Pedro Ferraz presented the results of an educational and awareness raising programme organised with the participation of schools, during the PEOPLE campaign in Lisboa.. In the following discussion all the present DGs supported the idea to set up a network of public health organisations involved in the assessment of the health impact of air pollutants, making use of the expertise gained under the APHEIS project: - The Public Health Programme of DG SANCO is strongly interested in setting-up a surveillance system on the health effects of the environment. A number of APHEIS partners are already contributing to the ENHIS project (Environment and Health Information System), and it is expected that the new APHEIS network could in the future contribute to the implementation of a permanent information system for the air pollution aspects. Giuglio Gallo sees the APHEIS partners as potential providers of health related data in Europe. He also insisted not to limit the activities a priory to the sole outdoor air quality aspects, but to be flexible and possibly also include indoor air quality in the future activities of the network. DG SANCO, which has funded the APHEIS project so far, therefore welcomes the initiative and is very interested in seeing such a network providing knowledge on health impacts from air pollution in a permanent updated way. - DG ENV - Air Pollution and Environment Strategy sees this network as an important tool for monitoring the health impact of air pollutants and the efficiency of policy measures. In addition this network could constitute the basis for further Health Impact Assessment studies and for European epidemiological surveys. Andre Zuber also insisted on the importance of assessing human exposure as a complement to the air quality approach. - DG ENV – Environment and Health Strategy shares the views expressed for the Air Pollution and Environment Strategy, and the DG SANCO Public Health Programme concerning the setting-up of a surveillance system on air pollution and health. In addition, Scott Brockett is very interested in the education and awareness raising aspects that could be conducted in the framework of the APHEIS network. - DG RTD indicated that risk assessment and health impact assessment are two research components of major importance to them and for EC policy development. This can be derived from the current FP6 programme but also from the outline of the upcoming FP7 programme. Environment and health will remain a major component of FP7 with particular focus on health risk assessment from environmental pollutants. This shows the importance of a network like APHEIS that would be able to feed the legislative apparatus with up to date scientific information on an important environmental pollution problem such air pollution. During the second day of the meeting, the discussion on the future of APHEIS was continued. Given the positive support of all present DGs, JRC decided to go ahead with the proposal to set up a network of public health organisations involved in the assessment of the health impact of air pollutants. This proposal was accepted by all the APHEIS members that were present at the meeting. Emile De Saeger (JRC) insisted on the need to evolve from the current APHEIS structure towards a pan-European network with participants from all the EU Member states. Also the necessity to develop the new network in agreement with or with the participation of the national public health authorities was essential. This latter task would probably constitute a major challenge for a number of Member states. So far, the broader objectives of the network were defined as follows: To set-up a network of public health authorities in the EU Member states, representative of the EU Member states, with the view to promote and carry out health impact studies from air pollutants and to create a permanent surveillance system on air pollution and related health effects. JRC proposed to provide the financial support to organise one plenary meeting per year and a number of ad hoc meetings. JRC also offered to care for the secretariat work associated with the network, as long as no alternative solution is proposed. The JRC and Sylvia Medina from the Institut de Veille Sanitaire (InVS) will develop a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), that will be used as the basis for further discussions on the statute, the structure and the procedures of the new network. The MoU will be circulated by e-mail to collect the views of all the APHEIS members. |
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