EFA

EFA Members will Meet & Greet the European Institutions in October! Twelve EFA members will have the opportunity to come to Brussels in October 2013, meet MEPs from their countries and learn more about decision making processes at the European level. With the "Meet & Greet" training, EFA lets its members to dig deeper into the legislative process and understand better current issues in the area of health. EFA secretariat in Brussels has been organising this training since 2007, each year with a different policy area in the spotlight. This year special attention will be given to the problem of tobacco control and air pollution in the EU. From October 15 to October 16, EFA members will not only have the opportunity to learn more about how the EU works, but they will also see what EFA, as an umbrella organisation representing patients with asthma, allergy and COPD, can do to advocate their interests. The "Meet & Greet 2013" will combine basic and advanced training to participants. Beginners will discover the decision making process in the EU, main developments in the health policy at the European level and they will also be introduced to different roles stakeholders play here in Brussels. Together with advanced participants, they will meet and greet key actors working on issues important to them, and also MEPs from their home countries. Part of the training will consist of role-playing games and workshops. Participants will be asked to replay the legislative process of the Tobacco Products Directive currently awaiting the discussion in the Parliament's plenary. Because of Commission's proposal for the revision of the EU Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution the second workshop will be focused on air pollution in the EU. The main aim of the event is to deepen participants' knowledge of EU decision-making and familiarise with current dossiers which are of major concern for health campaigners in Europe. Thanks to this training, patients' representatives will understand how they can advocate for interest of people they represent and how they can take part and make a difference in the EU legislative process. We will bring you more information on this year’s "Meet & Greet" in the October issue of EFA's e-zine. Stay tuned! The programme of the event is available here.