The aim of the Health Policy Forum is to bring together umbrella organisations representing stakeholders in the health sector to ensure that the EU`s health strategy is open, transparent and responds to the public concerns. The intention is to provide an opportunity to organise consultations, to exchange views and experience on a wide range of topics, and to assist in implementation and follow-up of specific initiatives. (Source: European Commission)

 

The EU Health Policy Forum is, as agreed in the response of the Commission to the public consultation on the creation of the forum in early 2001, part of a structure additionally consisting of the Open Forum. The EU Health Policy Forum currently has 49 member organisations. Membership has been revised in 2006.

 

The EU Health Policy Forum meets regularly in Brussels. The meetings review the EU work in various areas of public health and adopt recommendations on them.

 

The Forum seeks to cover evenly four groups of organisations:

  

The overarching goal of the EU Health Forum is to contribute to the development and implementation of actions to protect and improve the health of European citizens. In particular, the objectives of the Forum are:

 

·         To provide a communication channel between policy makers and stakeholders on EU health policy issues. The information in this channel should flow in both directions and should also facilitate communication among stakeholders. This requires a strong commitment of Forum members both to ensure dissemination within their networks but also to reach beyond their members in an open and inclusive manner.

·         To enable stakeholders to contribute to EU health policies by identifying emerging health issues, proposing policy options or shaping and giving feedback on policy proposals and implementing measures;

·         To support delivery of the EU Health Strategy by health advocacy and other appropriate means and tools at EU, national, regional and local levels.

·         To enable health actors at national and local level to define EU level work that will support their agenda.

·         To define European work packages that are relevant to the broader range of health actors, e.g. youth, lifestyles, workplace, health promotion or health in all policies (HIAP).