The presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates among the EU member states every 6 months. As of 1st January 2016 the Netherlands holds the Presidency and will hold this post until the 30th June this year.
During this 6-month period, the presidency chairs meetings at every level in the Council, helping to ensure the continuity of the EU's work in the Council.
In the field of public health the Dutch Presidency has highlighted the following priorities:
- Work-related cancer to be combated by expanding worker’s protection against a wide range of carcinogens;
- Examination of the question on how new innovations could reach patients faster at a socially acceptable cost;
- Reaching agreement with the European Parliament on the two regulations concerning medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices;
- Urging closer collaboration between health and agriculture ministers on fighting antimicrobial resistance;
- Strengthening voluntary cooperation among member states on medicine pricing issues, exploring flexible forms of market access that should give patients better access to promising new drug treatments;
- Addressing the risks that endocrine disrupters pose to humans, animals and the environment;
- Promotion of development of innovative, health foods.
The Dutch Presidency will also advance ongoing business, including the amendment of the NEC Directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants.