Press Releases and Articles

At its meeting on 16 June 2007 in Mondorf-les-Bains, the CPME Board adopted the following:

As a response to the European Commission consultation “The structure and rates of excise duty applied to cigarettes and other manufactured tobacco”, CPME agrees on the effectiveness of tobacco duty policies for smoking prevention and therefore recommends increasing the price of tobacco products through taxation.

In order to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol, CPME is of the opinion that its overall consumption must be brought down. To this end CPME considers controlling alcohol pricing, availability and promotion to be effective means. Special attention ought to be given to alcohol consumption of children and adolescents, effects of alcohol consumption on third parties as well as alcohol consumption related to driving.

CPME welcomes the Commission’s Communication, and at the same time suggests taking a holistic approach to the matter of health and safety at work. CPME recalls its previous policy document on the “paradigm shift”, which calls for more emphasis to be put on the employers’ social responsibility, in order to balance both economic and human factors. Finally, CPME draws the attention to several factors that need be taken into account when addressing the future of health and safety at work, with a special focus on mental health.

CPME supports the free movement of medical students. It is considered to be a logical consequence of CPME policy that supports the free movement of patients and health professionals within the EU, and emphasises the importance of achieving the highest possible level of medical training, medical practice and healthcare.

 

CPME declares its solidarity with Polish doctors and calls upon the government of the Republic of Poland to engage in immediate dialogue with the representatives of the Polish doctors to resolve the current situation in their healthcare system, in the interest of both patients and physicians.

CPME adopted a Motion on a Universal moratorium on the death penalty. CPME commends the Council of the EU initiative of presenting a resolution to the United Nations concerning the death penalty moratorium. CPME reminds the ethical commitment of European doctors to safeguarding life and that a doctor must not in any way collaborate, participate, or even simply be present in executions or acts of torture or cruel treatments.

All CPME Policy documents are available at: http://www.cpme.eu/policy.php

Secretary General, Lisette TIDDENS-ENGWIRDA               

CPME Secretariat:            Tel.: +32 2 732 72 02

                                          Fax: +32 2 732 73 44

                                          e-mail: secretariat @cpme.eu

For more information about CPME, consult our website: http://www.cpme.eu