10-11 November 2009 in Uppsala, Sweden.
How can Swedish experience together with the Commission´s Communication in the Pharmaceutical package contribute to environmental progress in the EU work on sustainable development for pharmaceuticals?
Sustainable Development stands for meeting the needs of present generations without jeopardizing the ability of futures generations to meet their own needs – in other words, a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. It regards social, economic and environmental issues as inseparable and interdependent components of human progress.
When aiming for a sustainable development there is often a need to strengthen the environmental aspects, which is also recognised in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. The environmental aspects of pharmaceuticals is also recognised in European Commission communication - a renewed vision for the pharmaceutical sector including the objective to propose measures to reduce the potentially harmful impacts of pharmaceuticals on the European environment and public health (COM (2008) 666 Final).
The Conference on Sustainable Development and Pharmaceuticals will have the COM communication and Swedish experience in the area of environment and pharmaceuticals as a starting point for further discussions on sustainable development and will also include views from the Commission, Parliament and Industry.
The goal is to introduce a platform that will facilitate discussions between representatives, from member states, with knowledge of medicinal products and health aspects, and representatives with an environmental background. During the Swedish Presidency the Medical Products Agency addresses EU member states. However, further initiatives including all stakeholders are welcome.