ECHAMP members will be in Prague for their Membership Assembly on 27 and 28 April. The annual Membership Assembly is traditionally held in the Member State exercising the presidency of the European Union. Following on from Slovenia last year, the Czech Republic is the second new Member State which has taken up the challenge of the EU Presidency.

There are 10.4 million inhabitants in the Czech Republic of which about 2 million live in the Prague metropolis. Of the emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic has one of the most developed industrialised economies and is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-communist states. In 2007 the country had a GDP growth rate of 6.6% and an inflation rate of 2.9%. Unemployment is less than 5%. The currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Koruna (CZK); accession to the Euro Zone is not expected before 2015 mainly due to the political reluctance in this subject.

Homeopathy is well known in the Czech Republic. There are more than 1,000 practitioners trained in homeopathy and several education centres. More than 10% of Czechs use homeopathy for their primary health care. There are associations of anthroposophic doctors, homeopathic doctors and homeopathic practitioners. There are 4,880 registered homeopathic medicinal products on the Czech market.

We expect about 75 participants from 17 countries. These will include representatives from the European doctors’, practitioners’, patients’ and pharmacists’ associations, as well as stakeholders from the Czech Republic active in the field of complementary medicine. Mr Per Thomas Thomassen, from the European Commission DG Industry Pharmaceuticals Unit, will give a presentation on the current status of the Pharma Package, also focussing on the legal and regulatory future for homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products in Europe.

On 27 April, a conference will focus on the work of the national manufacturing associations. The aim of the conference is to promote the need for advocacy work in the Member States via a national association in order to influence change at EU level, to discuss the most effective methods of negotiation with national political and regulatory authorities and to stimulate an effective and productive working relationship between the national and European associations. During an interactive workshop jointly moderated by the general secretaries of four major national associations and four board members of ECHAMP, the participants will discuss the specific opportunities and perspectives of the national associations and the European association ECHAMP.

On 28 April, the Membership Assembly includes reports from the Board of Management and from the different ECHAMP working parties, the reporting on the activities in 2008, the voting on the annual accounts for the year and finally a presentation of the work programme for the mid- and long-term, the latter coinciding with the next term of both the European Parliament and the European Commission.

We are indeed confident that our major concern - a better and more appropriate legal and regulatory environment for homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products all over Europe - will be dealt with in Brussels and Strasburg in the years to come. This will be the main focus of the discussion at our Membership Assembly.

Nand De Herdt
ECHAMP General Secretary