• The Issue Panel at the ISPOR European Congress in Glasgow on 6 November ‘Value Added Medicines: Time to Adjust the Health Technology Assessment Decision Frameworks?’ will debate how patients can benefit from value added medicines.
• Value added medicines are medicines which are based on 3 drug repurposing models: reformulation, repositioning or a combination of known molecules, which deliver substantial value for patients and society.
• HTA decision-making in Europe presents challenges for full value added recognition of these medicines. Addressing ways to recognise patient-centric innovation in value assessment frameworks is crucial for the assessment of value added medicines.

4 October 2017

A new film from APEAL, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, has been launched to highlight the unique preservation qualities of steel packaging.

Having recently welcomed the European Parliament’s (EP) initiative report – Resource efficiency: reducing food waste, improving food safety – APEAL is increasing its own efforts to drive improvements in managing food waste at all stages in the supply chain.

The film, which highlights the increased product shelf life and convenience of food packed in steel, forms part of a new campaign from APEAL: Less haste, save taste cut waste.

https://www.apeal.org/food-waste/

“The positive contribution of packaging as a solution to the prevention of loss and waste along the supply chain has been recognised following the EP report,” commented Alexis Van Maercke, secretary general of APEAL.

“The challenge today is to ensure this message reaches as wide an audience as possible.”

88 million tonnes of food are wasted each year in Europe (EU Fusions 2016 report). Making the right packaging choices is fundamental if the EU is to reach its commitment to halve per capita food waste at retail and consumer level by 2030. 

“No other packaging material equals steel’s strength, total barrier properties or shelf life. As a result, food packed in steel retains nutrients, appearance and flavour, and is less likely to be damaged, spoiled, or unnecessarily wasted,” added Van Maercke.

The latest recycling figures from APEAL confirmed that with 77.5% recycled in 2015 ¹, steel is the most recycled packaging material in Europe reinforcing its continued contribution to wider environmental and resource efficiency objectives.

Steel for Packaging – fact file

Preventing food waste throughout the supply chain:

• Canned fruit and vegetables are most often harvested at their peak of ripeness and canned in as little as 4 hours, minimising product loss at processing
• Misshapen or “ugly” food can be canned and processed as normal, minimising product loss at processing and retail
• Steel’s strength and 100% barrier against light, water and air protects food, minimising product loss during transport, retail and storage
• Portion sized packaging allows consumers to buy the precise quantity needed, minimising product loss at consumption.

​

Ends

Media enquiries:

Will Herman

Pelican Communications

Email: will.herman@pelicomms.co.uk

00 +44 (0)1457 820807

APEAL:

Patricia Mobbs

Communications Manager

E-mail: p.mobbs@apeal.be

www.apeal.org

www.steelforpackaging.org

About APEAL

APEAL - the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging is a federation of four multi-national producers of steel for packaging (ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, U.S. Steel Košice). In total these four companies employ over 200,000 workers in Europe. Founded in 1986, APEAL represents today about 95% of the total European production of steel for packaging.

About Steel for Packaging

Steel is a unique packaging material, combining exceptional performance capabilities with unrivalled environmental credentials. Strong, formable and long-lasting, steel offers numerous benefits for the safe packaging of a wide variety of products.

¹ APEAL recycling rate figure for EU 28 counties + Norway & Switzerland

Sakharov prize shortlist
On Tuesday the foreign affairs and development committees will hold a joint meeting to shortlist three candidates for this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The prize is awarded each year by the European Parliament and was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. The ECR Group have nominated Asia Bibi (Aasiya Noreen), a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death in 2010 under the country´s blasphemy law and currently on death row. ECR MEPs Peter Van Dalen, Anna Fotyga and Tomasz Poreba have long campaigned for Bibi's release whose appeal to Pakistan's supreme court has been postponed to an undetermined date.

When: Tuesday @ 17:00
Press officer to contact: Gareth Goldsmith +32 476 668 050, gareth.goldsmith@ep.europa.eu

Terrorism committee begins it work
Parliament's special committee on terrorism meets for the first time on Wednesday. ECR Flemish MEP Helga Stevens has been appointed co-rapporteur of the committee's final report our group want this committee to find practical solutions on how to better protect our citizens and create better cooperation between law enforcement authorities in the EU.

When: Wednesday @ 14:00
Press officer to contact: Yannick Vanderveeren +32 473 806 446,  yannick.vanderveeren@ep.europa.eu

Militarisation of black sea
The security and defence committee will hold a public hearing on militarisation in the Black Sea on Wednesday. The regional security situation has become increasingly challenging for the EU and NATO and the hearing will focus on the security situation following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Furthermore, the hearing will analyse the military and strategic consequences of the conflicts and the possibilities to foster stability and cooperation.

When: Wednesday @ 14.40, PHS 5B001
Press officer to contact: Marta Lipinska, +32 470 904 337, marta.lipinska@ep.europa.eu

EU-New Zealand and EU-Australia
Members of the international trade committee are expected to approve draft reports on Thursday on the proposed negotiating mandate for trade talks with Australia and New Zealand. ECR Co-ordinator Emma McClarkin and Deputy Co-ordinator David Campbell Bannerman are shadow rapporteurs. Meanwhile, a report by ECR Foreign Affairs Co-ordinator Charles Tannock on a partnership agreement between the EU and New Zealand will be voted on by the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

When: Foreign Affairs - Tuesday 9am; International Trade - Thursday 9am
Press Officer to contact: Robert Taylor +32 498 984760, robert.taylor@ep.europa.eu

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu

Friday 6 October 2017

The closing press point of the EHFG 2017 highlighted the global angle to “Health in All Politics”, the Forum’s main theme. Featuring Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Andrea Ammon, Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and Agneta Karlsson, State Secretary of the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the press point covered a wide range of issues, with the discussion touching upon vaccination, antimicrobial resistance, multimorbidity, and the important role of social determinants in improving health and well-being.

***

The speakers at today’s press point:

• Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
• Andrea Ammon, Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• Agneta Karlsson, State Secretary of the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Vytenis Andriukaitis – European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

“I am very pleased to be back in Gastein for the fifth time.

I am delighted that this year's theme is 'Health in all Politics'. Our aim must be to get all policies, all Ministers, all stakeholders, at all levels, to contribute to keeping people in good health. Education, marketing, taxation, urban planning can all help foster healthy living. Global Health is another issue on the Gastein agenda this year. I hope to seize on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to raise the profile of global health.

The Commission is preparing an initiative to support vaccination, which we will present next year (2018), to support Member States in increasing vaccination coverage, fighting vaccine hesitancy and addressing problems with vaccine supply and production.

Vaccines are one of the safest and most cost-effective ways to ensure public health and avoid preventable disease. It is therefore my honour to announce the shortlist of 10 outstanding initiatives by NGOs which have significantly contributed to higher levels of vaccination in the EU population. I will give the award for the three top prizes during the EU Health Policy Platform Meeting on 27 November 2017, but from my point of view, all 10 NGOs are winners.”

The 10 shortlisted initiatives of the EU Health Award for NGOs 2017, announced at the European Health Forum Gastein 2017, can be found here.

***

Andrea Ammon – Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

“Vaccination is a major priority for the ECDC. Vaccine hesitancy is an issue that threatens the success of vaccines we have seen. This is why we developed communication tool kits to help doctors deal with questions of parents. The bottom line is that all parts of society have to be involved to find a solution.”

In identifying infectious threats in Europe, ECDC has a global role to play, because -when it comes to infectious threats- nothing is remote. Every morning ECDC do an assessment of rumours and threats around all infectious diseases and warnings of rumours will be posted on social media.

It is absolutely necessary to have a global network of monitoring media and to have an early warning system to flag rumours. As discussed in the EHFG workshop yesterday, the first pilot projects taking the rumour monitoring will require further assessment. ECDC is looking to involve behavioural scientists to help assess the behaviour behind the rumours so that we can develop counter measures.”

***

Agneta Karlsson - State Secretary, Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

“Global health and health in all politics are extremely important to build a society that holds together. The work around the 2030 agenda provides positive momentum for lifting up and enforcing the work on global health and “Health in All Politics”.

In Sweden, we have been working on “Health in All Politics” for a long time, with inclusion being a key objective. But that is not enough. If we really want to make progress and to make everyone included, we need to find a way to integrate equality in all policies. For this, social determinants are important. With our own Commission on Social Determinants, we found conditions in early life are particularly important: schools, vaccination schemes, good maternity health services, and educational opportunities throughout life. We also need to make sure that people have the ability to be economically independent. To make everyone have a good life, we need to take into account “Health in All Politics” in all life cycles. This is not only a matter of healthcare ministers.

Vaccine prevention is very important. Sweden has a high rate of vaccination among children, but we also see that misunderstandings and rumours can move around quite quickly. One thing we can do is to give more money to our public health agencies for awareness raising campaigns. We need to work together on this, both at the European level and the national level.”

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact:

European Health Forum Gastein 2017 – Press office
 

E: press@ehfg.org

T: +32 2 321 90 16
 

• Around 500  leading European health policy experts from the worlds of policy-making, research, civil society and business debated today’s main health policy challenges over three days at Gastein.
• Participants got to grips with a wide and complex range of issues surrounding health inequalities and the need for broad political engagement and decisive action at all levels.      
• On the Forum’s 20th anniversary they explored future scenarios for improving health in Europe in 2037 – and reshaping how this unique policy forum needs to evolve.

Bad Hofgastein, Austria, 6 October 2017. After three days of forward-looking and intense discussion on the future of health in Europe, the 20th European Health Forum Gastein “Health in All Politics – a better future for Europe” ends today.

Politicians and researchers at this leading health policy forum gave, for example, details of the Estonian and Austrian EU Presidency priorities on key issues such as harmful use of alcohol, ehealth, and nutrition.

On the last day of the Forum, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis announced the 10 initiatives that have made it on the shortlist for the EU Health Award for NGOs 2017, which aims to reward Non-Governmental Organisations that have contributed to a higher level of public health in the EU through promoting vaccination. (See here and here).

This year’s EHFG programme created a platform to air concerns about rising costs of healthcare provision, and waste within health systems.  Equally, concerns to provide patients with the innovative medicines they need now dominate the political agenda at all levels. A number of Forum sessions examined the costs of innovative medicines, pointing out that already tight budgets are being put under further strain.

UK researchers used the Forum to launch a new study on the “Availability of evidence on overall survival and quality of life benefits of cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency. Patients highlighted the realities of health inequalities associated with “post-code lotteries” when health authorities make choices on which medicines are available to patients. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry sees itself confronted with mounting pressure to reduce the prices of these life-saving therapies, which are often the product of years of investment, research, and development.

Various solutions to address this problem were debated. Some called for thinking outside the box by pursuing the health angle in other areas of policy-making. Others explained the need to strike the right balance between sellers and buyers of medicines: ensuring meaningful patient engagement in innovation in all its guises becomes key to ensuring valuable innovation that addresses unmet need.

For many, the source of the problem was health inequalities that must be addressed. One session dedicated to the topic heard the powerful message that “inequalities should not be seen as a footnote to the problems that we face, they are the problems that we face”. Solutions were to be found by shifting power, wealth and resources through a multi-stakeholder approach involving academia, the public health community, regulators, and industry at all levels of government. Civil society was viewed by some as being crucial to holding governments to account. The public health community could also do more by engaging more in discussions on economic issues, e.g. in ensuring health figures in international trade agreements talks.

The role of politicians in making health policy recommendations and informed but often tough choices across all government activities was how many participants identified with the theme “Health in all Politics”.

Clemens Martin Auer, Director General of Austria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs and EHFG President explained: “The world has become complex; at policy level we need some flexibility. At political level we have a box of tools. We must do more matchmaking among ministers, getting ministers of health talking to ministers of science about public investment in R&D.” (See here and here).

The Forum highlighted how cities and regions, where local politicians are often closer to citizens, could show how urban health can be improved. (See here). But it also recognised the role of the European Commission with calls for its health competence to be strengthened. Global considerations were also seen to be important in shaping our response to better health, with references Sustainable Development Goals as well steps to modernize the World Health Organization and the UN system at large.

Whether on the sensitive topic of access to medicines and innovation, or on how to embrace big data and ICT, EHFG demonstrated its value in creating an environment for people to talk “to” each other and not “past” each other. With a degree of consensus around the view that fundamental access and inequity challenges facing Europe today, need a collaborative, solution-oriented mind-set involving all stakeholders, at all levels of government from local to global, with above all a real sense of urgency.  (See here).

As the new EHFG President, Mr Auer shared his vision of the role the Forum can enact in tackling the many topics facing those involved in health policy making: “we need to start transforming ideas into implementation, become a test lab for ideas for a new kind of implementation dialogue that looks at the how”.  Building on the 20-year legacy of EHFG as an environment conducive to a balanced and civilised debate, he explained there was a need to be creative and overcome silo working, fragmentation and promote interoperability. He warned that “there is no creativity without confrontation, but we can build on a strong foundation of trust”.

Change and the degree to which we can prepare for the future underpinned many sessions. The topic of Big Data and technological innovation highlighted how the health landscape is changing, offering exciting vistas of how access to digital technologies can make societies more efficient and bring people together by providing value-added services. (See here). But Big Data and digital transformation can re-enforce disparities, be disruptive and make us rethink our perspectives on ethics and quality of care. Indeed, one of the “health future” scenarios for 2037 was based on looking at how technology can create a new vision of better health for Europe.

Dorli Kahr-Gottlieb, Secretary General of EHFG, presented the “Health Futures Project” looking to scenarios for better health futures twenty years ahead. Upon learning that 5% of Estonia’s population know their genomes, she commented on “how some aspects of the futures thinking presented in the scenarios were already reality in some parts of Europe”. (See report here).

“This demonstrates clearly that Europe’s diversity is a huge strength, and the Forum’s goal of sharing and drawing lessons from health policy successes and failures is hugely important for fast-tracking much-needed solutions to ensuring a better health for Europe.”

***

Note to the editors

About the European Health Forum Gastein

The European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) was founded in 1998 as a European health policy conference. It aims to provide a platform for all stakeholders from the field of health and beyond. Over the past decade, the EHFG has established itself as an indispensable institution in the broad field of European health policy. It has made a decisive contribution to the development of guidelines and above all the cross-border exchange of experience, information and cooperation. Leading experts participate in the annual conference held in the Gastein Valley in the Austrian Alps for three days in October.

EHFG media releases 2017

PRESS RELEASE: 20th edition of European Health Forum Gastein 2017 opens its doors tomorrow

https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/docs/Press_Release_EHFG_2017.pdf

PRESS RELEASE: European Health Award 2017 goes to Gen-Equip project https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/docs/Press_Release_-_Winner_Short.pdf

PRESS POINT: Health in all politics

https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/Press_Release_Health_in_All_Politics.pdf

PRESS POINT: Local Health for Politics

https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/EHFG_2017_Press_Point.pdf

MEDIA ADVISORY: Access to medicines and innovation

https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/Media_Advisory.pdf

MEDIA ADVISORY: Big data

https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/Big_Data.pdf

PRESS POINT:  Global perspectives on health in all politics

https://www.ehfg.org/fileadmin/downloads/21-press/2017/EHFG_2017_Press_Point_Friday_6_October.pdf

20 YEARS EHFG

https://www.ehfg.org/about-us/20-years/

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact:

European Health Forum Gastein 2017 – Press office
E: press@ehfg.org T: +32 2 321 90 16

Frankfurt, 9. Oktober 2017 – Die Zeit für einen geordneten Brexit wird immer knapper. Der deutsche Maschinenbau appelliert daher an beide Seiten, in der heute beginnenden fünften Verhandlungsrunde endlich Ergebnisse zu den Details des Austritts Großbritanniens aus der EU zu liefern. Aus Sicht des VDMA können Übergangsregelungen ab März 2019 erforderlich werden, um mehr Zeit für die Einigung auf ein Folgeabkommen zu haben.

„Ein harter Brexit ist ein denkbares, aber für die Wirtschaft kein akzeptables Szenario. Weil das insbesondere für das Vereinigte Königreich risikoreich wäre, besteht Hoffnung, dass ein solches Szenario vermieden wird. Wenn die Zeit für die Einigung auf ein Folgeabkommen zu knapp wird, muss man Übergangsregelungen ab März 2019 grundsätzlich in Betracht ziehen“, sagt Thilo Brodtmann, Hauptgeschäftsführer des VDMA. „Es ist eindeutig, dass vor allem Großbritannien realistischere Erwartungen an den Brexit und die Zeit danach entwickeln muss. Die EU darf und wird sich in den Verhandlungen nicht verbiegen, weil für die heimischen Unternehmen der Erhalt des Binnenmarktes Priorität hat. Allerdings hat die britische Premierministerin Theresa May mit ihrer Rede in Florenz zuletzt Kompromissbereitschaft gezeigt. Das ist ein positives Zeichen, das die EU-Kommission ernst nehmen sollte.“

Für den deutschen Maschinenbau ist Großbritannien der viertwichtigste Auslandsmarkt weltweit mit einem Exportvolumen von 7,4 Milliarden Euro (2016). Umgekehrt lieferte das Vereinigte Königreich 2016 Maschinenbauprodukte im Wert von 2,4 Milliarden Euro nach Deutschland.

Brussels, 9 October 2017 – The Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC) is hosting a seminar to assess the impact of the GDPR on FP9 health research and examine how the Code of Conduct for Health Research being developed by BBMRI-ERIC and collaborators will address future health challenges. The seminar will take place on 6 November 2017 in Brussels.

Preparations for FP9 (2021-2027) has begun and the European Commission is expected to publish its initial proposal in the first half of 2018. Discussions on the programme’s structure, content, and budget are under way covering sustainability, socio-economic impact, and the use and management of data created by pan-European research infrastructures, including the contribution of these infrastructures to health sciences and research. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply across the EU from 25 May 2018. Articles 40 and 41 of the GDPR are the primary sources of authority for establishing approved codes of conduct to serve as compliance tools for data controllers and processors. Following a series of exploratory meetings in 2017, BBMRI-ERIC has launched a forum to develop a GDPR Code of Conduct for Health Research as the means to comply and to contribute to the proper implementation of GDPR. Through the forum, BBMRI-ERIC is engaging with approximately 80 key stakeholders and a drafting group from across the EU, to outline the GDPR Code of Conduct for Health Research. This code will be vital for enabling and advancing collaborative health research following the application of the GDPR.

The seminar on 6 November 2017 will focus on how the new data protection environment will determine and affect the use of (sensitive) personal data for health sciences in future research collaborations. The seminar will also help participants to understand the policy context for FP9 and how this will be impacted by the GDPR and other regulations, including those covering medical devices and clinical trials. The seminar will also include discussions on how the programme might address biological and medical science research, including the use of sensitive personal data, for the programme to deliver benefits for the EU’s citizens and economy.

The seminar sessions will cover big data and the European Open Science Cloud, GDPR and the Code of Conduct for Health Research, and FP9. Speakers will include:

• Jan-Eric Litton, Senior Advisor, BBRMRI-ERIC;
• Michaela Th. Mayrhofer, Chief Policy Officer, BBMRI-ERIC;
• Augusto Burgueno Arjona, Head of Unit, European Commission;
• Magali Poinot, Advisor to the Executive Director, IMI2;
• Brendan Barnes, Director Data protection, IP & Global Health, EFPIA;
• Lydia Makaroff, Director, European Cancer Patient Coalition;
• Nathalie Bertels, Big Data Value Association.

The seminar will take place on Monday, 6 November 2017, from 10h00 to 16h00 at Science 14, 14b Rue de la Science, Brussels B-1040 (map: https://goo.gl/maps/6DQhCYURwrQ2).

Registration is available is available at http://iscintelligence.com/event.php?id=322.

For further information on the 6 November seminar, please contact:

Tjaša Petročnik, Policy analyst, ISC Intelligence in Science

Email: tjasa.petrocnik@iscintelligence.com

Tel: +32 2 880 36 24

For BBMRI-ERIC media enquiries, please contact:

Luc Deltombe, Communication and Finance Assistant, BBMRI-ERIC

Email: luc.deltombe@bbmri-eric.eu

Tel: + 43 316 34 99 17 21

Declan Kirrane, ISC Intelligence in Science

Email: declan.kirrane@iscintelligence.com

Tel: + 32 494 34 60 40

For further information on BBMRI-ERIC, please contacts  Michaela Th. Mayrhofer at michaela.th.mayrhofer@bbmri-eric.eu.

Editor’s note

Previous meetings on the GDPR Code of Conduct for Health Research:

Implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will apply from 25 May 2018, will encourage EU organisations to draw up a code(s) of conduct so that they can contribute to the proper application of the GDPR in specific sectors and can demonstrate compliance with the GDPR. A code(s) may be prepared by associations or representative bodies for the approval, registration, and publication by a supervisory authority.

The GDPR Code of Conduct for Health Research will help guide researchers and administrative staff, will reduce unnecessary fear about compliance, and enhance data sharing for the progress of health research.

Since early 2017, BBMRI-ERIC has held multiple working meetings on this topic.

On 1 February 2017, BBMRI-ERIC hosted a working meeting in Brussels, bringing together around 30 representatives from the European biological and medical science research infrastructures, policy-makers, medical and health associations, industry representatives, patient advocacy groups, and other interested stakeholders. The aim was to express commitment to be involved in developing the code as well as to discuss and develop a roadmap for a harmonised Code of Conduct for Health Research. The February meeting concluded with a common agreement that it would be good to develop a code of conduct and to have a transparent consultation process. More information is available at: http://iscintelligence.com/event.php?id=310.

On 7 June 2017, in Brussels, BBMRI-ERIC organized a forum to present the governance concept and a timeline for a BBMRI-ERIC Code of Conduct for Health Research, to discuss the needs of patients and Member States, and the perspectives of third countries/international organisations, and to outline the code’s topics and working groups. More information is available at: http://iscintelligence.com/event.php?id=319. While the previous meetings were aimed at discussing the priority issues that need to be addressed by the code and agreeing on its development timeline, a subsequent meeting in Brussels on 26-27 July 2017 brought together the core drafting group to prepare the text of the code. In autumn 2017, this text will be discussed with reference groups and consulted on with the Code of Conduct forum members.

The drafting group for the Code of Conduct for Health Research comprises BBMRI-ERIC (lead), representing CORBEL (the EU project of BMS RIs), ECRIN, representatives from EFPIA, CESSDA, RD-CONNECT, Global Alliance, ESR and others, taking into account social and cultural differences, as well as expertise.

BBMRI-ERIC:

BBMRI-ERIC (http://bbmri-eric.eu/) is a pan-European research infrastructure which provides access to quality-controlled human biological samples, such as blood, tissues, cells or DNA, and associated clinical and research data. It aims to establish, operate and develop a pan-European distributed research infrastructure of biobanks and biomolecular resources to facilitate the access to resources as well as facilities and to support high-quality biomolecular and medical research. BBMRI-ERIC comprises 19 member states and one international organisation, making it one of the largest research infrastructures for health research in Europe.

For building owners, the renovation process can be a hassle, shaped by the ambiguity of the measures to implement. Uncertainty is one of the reasons why the renovation rate continues to linger around 1% and private investments remain limited. Achieving the full market potential of renovation calls for a paradigm shift, where a more service-oriented supply-side together with a deeper awareness on the demand-side play key roles. The BetterHome case study shows how innovative business models can drive energy renovations across Europe.

BetterHome is an industry-driven one-stop-shop model, which has proven successful in boosting demand for holistic energy renovations in Denmark. Since the model was launched in 2014 it was profitable after just three years, with 200 projects in 2016 and is expected to continue its growth. Understanding that renovating a building is a big commitment, this model creates a burden-free experience for the building owner and offers a service that goes beyond replacing building components.

The success of the home-owner-centric business model can be explained by the advanced service-oriented role of the installers. BetterHome trains and guides the installers on how to approach the customer, from the first contact to the finalisation of the process. In support, BetterHome also simplifies and structures the renovation process for the installer, through supportive and innovative digital tools, enabling a better evolution for all involved.

Find out what makes BetterHome a success story and what innovation lies behind it in BPIE’s briefing. An infographic is also available.

Joint Press Release

9 October 2017

European forest owners and managers welcome the 4th European Forest Week and underline the key role of sustainable forest management to provide solutions to societal challenges

CEPF, Copa and Cogeca and EUSTAFOR today welcome the 4th European Forest Week. The theme of the week, “Forests, our common good”, provides an opportunity to highlight the key role of Europe’s millions of forest owners and managers to provide solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing society today, not least climate change and sustainable development.

The 4th European Forest Week is being celebrated through Europe on 9-13 October 2017, under the theme of "Forests, our common good”.  It is being held in conjunction with Las2017 in Warsaw, Poland (‘las’ means ‘forest’ in Polish) – the Joint Session of the UNECE Committee of Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI) and the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC).

On this occasion, Europe’s forest owners and managers would like to highlight how an economically viable and responsible forestry sector contributes to overall societal objectives, like fighting climate change and ensuring a sustainable development.

By balancing the three pillars of sustainability, economic, social and environmental, in their day-to-day management, Europe’s forest owners and managers are providing a multitude of benefits to society. Growing forests clean the air of carbon dioxide, provide areas for recreation and biodiversity and provide a range of ecosystem services as well as a crucial renewable resource that can replace non-renewable materials and energy. Furthermore, forestry contributes to a living countryside, providing jobs and income in Europe’s rural areas.

The 4th European Forest Week once more provides a great opportunity to show the commitment of European forest owners and managers to contribute to a sustainable and productive forestry sector that is able to respond to future challenges and to ever-increasing demands from society.

For more information about the Las2017, please see the conference website.

Read more on European Forest Week here.

For further information, please contact:

CEPF – Confederation of European Forest Owners

Contact: Emma Berglund, emma.berglund@cepf-eu.org, www.cepf-eu.org

COPA and COGECA – European Farmers and European Agri-Cooperatives

Contact: Amanda Cheesley, amanda.cheesley@copa-cogeca.eu, www.copa-cogeca.eu

EUSTAFOR – European State Forest Association

Contact: Piotr Borkowski, piotr.borkowski@eustafor.eu, www.eustafor.eu

Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF)

European Forestry House
Rue du Luxembourg 66, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

T: +32 223 92 307

F: +32 221 92 191

Email: office@cepf-eu.org
www.cepf-eu.org

European Family Forestry – sustainability in action!

Warsaw, 10 October 2017

• Today Marc-Alexander Mahl will take over the Presidency of Medicines for Europe from Jacek Glinka.
• The new President announced his priority to increase Access to Medicines for patients starting with a new campaign.
• The campaign calls on health ministers to realise the potential of generic, biosimilar and value added medicines, building on the EU Health Council Conclusions of June 2016.

Brussels, 10/10/2017

Wednesday’s MEP vote on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) must ensure that European buildings contribute to unlocking the potential of electric mobility through the deployment of charging infrastructure. This is crucial to speed up the market penetration of electric vehicles and the decarbonisation of the road transport sector.

“The European strategy for decarbonisation of buildings must reflect the importance of decarbonised electricity in the energy transition,” said EURELECTRIC Secretary General, Kristian Ruby. “The integration of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the revision of this Directive is crucial to speed up the market penetration of electric vehicles and thereby the decarbonisation of the road transport sector.”

EURELECTRIC calls on the European Parliament to adopt these key measures:

• EV charging points should also be installed in public parking lots and buildings of mixed use. Support Amendments 396, 397, 399 and 406.
• Smart charging points are key enablers for sector coupling. Make them the standard.
• All tenants and co-owners should have the right to install a charging point. Support Amendment 407.
• Electric vehicles are not only for big companies. SMEs should not be excluded from the benefits of e-mobility. Support Amendments 365 and 366.

Looking a step further, Europe must seize the opportunity and shape the future of mobility in the upcoming Mobility Package. EURELECTRIC calls on the Commission to:

• Include a definition of “clean vehicles” in the revised Clean Vehicles Directive, based on a threshold of below 50gCO2 emission/km at tailpipe.
• Implement strict and coherently tested emission standards for light duty vehicles and heavy duty vehicles, as well as separate targets for the take up of zero emission vehicles.
• Unlock smart charging, which will offer significant benefits both to the electricity system as well as to the final customers.

EURLECTRIC’s voting recommendations on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive can be found here.

ENDS

Press Contact:

Anamaria OLARU, Press & Media Relations

tel: +32 (0)483 45 92 42

e-mail: aolaru@eurelectric.org