HHS Secretary Meets with European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection

HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt; Robert Kolodner, M.D., Acting National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; and James O'Neill, HHS Associate Deputy Secretary, meet with the Honorable Markos Kyprianou, Esq., European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, (opposite the Secretary), the Ambassador of the European Commission (EC) to the United States, the Honorable John Bruton (foreground); and Paola Testori Coggi, the Acting Deputy Director-General of the EC Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection (farthest). HHS photo by Chris Smith

March 12, 2007 – A delegation from the EC Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection met with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Michael O. Leavitt last week to engage in a strategic dialogue in areas such as access to care, consumer-centered care and pandemic-influenza preparedness. Attending the meeting were the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, the Honorable Markos Kyprianou, Esq,; the Ambassador of the EC to the United States, the Honorable John Bruton; the Deputy Head of Cabinet in the EC Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG-SANCO), Philippe Brunet; the Acting Deputy Director-General of DG-SANCO, Paola Testori Coggi; and Nicola Robinson from the International Relations Unit of DG-SANCO Directorate C (Public Health). In April 2005, Secretary Leavitt met with Commissioner Kyprianou in Washington, D.C., to discuss a number of topics, including the opening of the European Centers for Prevention and Disease Control (ECDC) in Stockhom, Sweden, and plans for an exchange of liaison officers.

During their recent meeting, Secretary Leavitt and his guests discussed the challenges and opportunities that face the European Union regarding cross-border health care. The Secretary assured the Commissioner that the U.S. government is facing many similar challenges as our consumers seek the most cost-efficient and rapid access to quality health care. Commissioner Kyprianou shared the EC’s "Green Paper on Smoke-Free Environments" and the ECDC’s technical report, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in the European Union, a status report as of Autumn 2006. HHS values its close working relationship with the EC, and looks forward to continuing this dialogue.

Last revised: October 11, 2007