The Policy Affairs Working Group (PAWG) is pleased to report that on 29 November 2013, the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) voted in favour of policy that will directly enhance the reputation of the VPH institute.
Members of the European Parliament, in a vote on the European Parliament’s Own Initiative Report on the eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020, voted in favour of including the following text in their report:
Ha. “whereas successful eHealth initiatives and projects like epSOS or the Virtual Physiological Human initiative have demonstrated the great value of eHealth solutions”
10. “Urges the Commission and the Member States to continue working through pilot projects, such as the epSOS project and/or the Virtual Physiological Human initiative to develop pan-European interoperability; and to continue to support innovative solutions for person centred care, including advanced modelling and simulations, needed in order to achieve the aims of predictive and personalised medicine;”
Over the past few months the PAWG has collaborated closely with Members of the European Parliament to make sure that the important work currently being done by VPH members is understood and how official recognition by the European Parliament of this work would go a long way towards ensuring the continued support of the European Commission.
The PAWG would like to thank, in particular, Mr. Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu MEP for Romania who tabled this text. His support for in silico medicine and the work of his staff is greatly appreciated by the institute.
That this text was voted through by an overwhelming majority of MEPs brings the institute one step closer to being officially endorsed by the European Parliament as a successful eHealth solution, the continued support of which is a necessity to tackle the many health problems currently faced by EU citizens.
This final text will face one more vote by the European Parliament and it is expected that after 13 January 2013, VPH members everywhere will be able to claim that the European Parliament specifically endorses the work of the institute.
The PAWG will continue to work hard in the coming months to ensure that this becomes a reality.
