Cross-themes lobbying and advocacy activities
MHE advocacy events on mental health and well-being at the European Parliament
Every year, Mental Health Europe (MHE) organises a thematic debate at the European Parliament, to raise awareness and advocate on mental health and well-being as key issues impacting on social and health policies in the EU.
• MHE debate 2009 on Poverty, Mental Health and Human Rights
On 30th November 2009, Mental Health Europe's debate at the European Parliament in Brussels was about "Poverty and Mental Health in the EU: a Human Rights issue" and was hosted by Milan Zver, MEP. The focus was made on the link between poverty and mental health and on how it impacts on human rights and especially how human rights violations can be greater in case of poverty and mental health problems. The event fostered discussions between EU representatives and key experts on the different issues at stake. Important discussions took place with the participants on different issues related to mental health and its links with human rights protection in the field of combating poverty.
Background material:
MHE Policy Position on Poverty and Mental Health as human rights issue
• MHE debate 2008 on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Youth
On 3 December 2008, Mental Health Europe held a debate on "Ensuring
Mental Health in Youth in modern European Societies - Turning the
European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing into Reality" at the
European Parliament in Brussels. The event was hosted by Poul Nyrup
Rasmussen MEP, former Danish Prime Minister, and Giovanni Berlinguer
MEP, member of the Committee for Health and Environment. The focus was
on one of the thematic priorities of the European Pact for Mental
Health and Wellbeing, namely the mental health of youth. The event
fostered discussion between representatives from the EU Institutions
and key experts on policy perspectives in this field. A fruitful debate
with the participants took place as many relevant comments and remarks
were made to address the issue of youth mental health from different
perspectives.
Background material:
Agenda of the day
Speaker biographies and presentations abstract
MHE policy position on mental health in children and young people
Final report
• MHE debate 2007 on Promotion of Mental Health and Wellbeing in Employment
On 5 December 2007 MHE and John Bowis MEP, rapporteur for the European Parliament on the Green Paper on Mental Health, hosted a lunch debate on "Equal Chance, Equal Respect: Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Employment".
The debate, which fed into the Lisbon strategy 2008-2010 and the EU Health Strategy for 2008 - 2013, emphasised how the provision of training and social support at work, and the development of empowerment can lead to improvements in competence, coping strategies, job satisfaction, work capacity and reduced stress.
Background material:
Agenda of the day
MHE Press release on the event
MHE policy position on mental well-being in employment
• MHE debate 2006 on Social Inclusion
Mental Health Europe (MHE) together with John Bowis MEP hosted a special event "No Social Inclusion without Mental Health", dedicated to the exploration of issues around mental health and mental well-being in the European Union on 13 September 2006 at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Background material
MHE initiatives on the Presidency of the Council of the EU
MHE follows up regularly on the working priorities of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, as one key instrument for promoting mental health sensitive policies in the EU Member States and influencing the activities and functioning of the whole of the European Union.
• MHE activities under the Spanish - Belgian - Hungarian EU Presidencies (January 2010 - June 2011)
The Trio Presidency Programme has been released in November 2009, revealing the strategy of the Trio Presidency in the context of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. The focus was put on the idea that the post-2010 Lisbon Strategy should be better articulated with a strong cohesion policy and contribute to the catching-up of disadvantaged territorial units and social groups including people with mental health problems, taking into account the necessity to tackle the negative economic and social effects of the financial crisis. The fight against
poverty and social marginalization is also set as a major objective of the Trio Presidency.The three Presidencies also aim at focusing on the effective implementation of the new multi-annual programme for the development of the area of Freedom, Security and Justice (Stockholm
Programme), reminding also the importance of fighting discrimination and promoting integration which are shared basic values throughout the European Union.
Ahead of the release of the Trio Presidency Programme, Mental Health Europe sent its comments to the Trio Presidency, focusing on the importance of having mental health at core of the EU Agenda in the different fields of policies. To read MHE comments, please click here
• MHE activities under the French - Czech - Swedish EU Presidencies (July 2008 - December 2009)
The Trio Presidency programme's priorities in the field of mental health were focusing on promoting active inclusion of those furthest from the labour markets and the most disadvantaged. In this context due attention was to be given to the labour market and social integration of persons with disabilities, people disadvantaged on the basis of their ethnic origin and people with a migrant background. The Presidencies forsaw to work on a Commission Recommendation on the common principles of active inclusion and aiming at promoting the Open Method of Coordination in social protection and social inclusion. The Trio programme's priorities were also focused on addressing the proposal for a new Directive implementing the principle of equal treatment outside employment presented by the European Commission on 2 July 2008 The Trio inserted in its programme a priority on Alzheimer.
Ahead of the European conference on Alzheimer's disease on 30-31
October 2008 in Paris under the auspices of the French Presidency of
the EU, Mental Health Europe (MHE) sent an open letter to the French
presidency to call for the inclusion of other dementias besides
Alzheimer's disease in the health priority.
In its open letter, MHE
calls upon the French and the future EU presidencies to acknowledge
that there are many other forms of dementia than only Alzheimer, and to
take action urgently to include also other forms of dementias. It is
incorrect to use the title Alzheimer's disease for the collective
including other dementias of the neurodegenerative system.
The French EU presidency replied to MHE by acknowledging the
importance of the issue and taking the commitment to keep the point
into consideration on the political agenda. To read the related press
release, please click here
The Czech Presidency
focused its programme on services as a tool for preventing social
exclusion and for active inclusion of the most vulnerable persons and,
at the same time, as an area of growing employment opportunities (given
the demographic trends in the EU). The Presidency aimed at addressing
the issue of the availability of social services.
The Swedish Presidency programme aimed to reduce the negative effects of the ongoing crisis in the field of employment and social policy as well as to find measures to reintegrate the unemployed into the labour market and to promote the active participation of people with a reduced work capacity because of ill-health. The work on the EU's new strategy for growth and jobs which will replace the Lisbon Strategy was said as of key importance. The increase of opportunities for healthy and dignified ageing for older people in the EU as well as improvement of cooperation to promote good living conditions for young people in the EU was also set as a priority in the Swedish Presidency Programme. Work to counter all forms of discrimination was defined as a priority of the Swedish Presidency.
Ahead of 1st July 2009 when the Swedish Presidency mandate began, MHE sent its comments on the Swedish Presidency programme regarding mental health issues. To read MHE view on the Swedish Presidency Programme, please click here.
