On 26 and 27 April, ECHAMP members will meet in Madrid for a stakeholder workshop and the annual Membership Assembly, held as usual in the Member State holding the Presidency of the European Union.

Spain joined the EU in 1986 and switched to the Euro in January 2002. Since joining the EU, economic growth has been strong, well above EU average. However, the pace of this growth has also had a huge impact on property prices and foreign trade deficits, and led some two years ago to a painful economic collapse.

As regards homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products, they are increasingly recognised as an alternative to conventional medicine.  According to ‘Ipsos Health’, 15% of the Spanish population already uses homeopathic remedies and 25% would be happy to try them. There are well over 7 000 medical doctors who prescribe these products on a regular basis.

There are two homeopathic hospitals in Spain - the Fundacion Instituto Homeopatico y Hospital de San Jose in Madrid, which provides both in- and out-patient care and the Hospital del Nen Deu in Barcelona which offers out-patient care only.

There are post-graduate studies in homeopathic medicine at the universities of Seville, Valladolid, Murcia and Barcelona, and education centres in Bilbao and Malaga. In September 2009, the Committee on Health and Consumer Affairs of the Spanish Parliament unanimously adopted a bill recognising homeopathy as a formal part of the medical system.

Stakeholder workshop

On 26 April, a stakeholders’ workshop will focus on the new environment for decision making at EU level. Some 85 participants from 17 countries are expected to attend, including ECHAMP full members, representatives of the European associations of doctors, practitioners, patients and pharmacists, and Spanish stakeholders active in the field of complementary medicine. Representatives of the Spanish Health ministry, the Spanish Medicines Agency and the European Commission have been invited as speakers, to address the Spanish as well as the European legal and regulatory future for homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products.

The new Lisbon Treaty is now finally in force and a new Parliament and new Commission have just started their five-year term. The responsibility for pharmaceutical legislation has been transferred to the Commissioner in charge of health and consumer affairs: for the first time, pharmaceuticals and health policy are together in the same portfolio. Furthermore, there are positive signals with respect to the European institutions taking more account of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as well as a number of initiatives within the CAM community to improve cooperation and develop a common approach.

These developments provide the background to the workshop, which will aim to develop a better understanding of the new European pharmapolitical environment and its implications for our sector and our products. It will also identify key issues within our sector in support of building a single stakeholder platform.

A social event in the evening will offer a perfect opportunity to meet with colleagues and stakeholders from other countries.

The Membership Assembly

The annual Membership Assembly will be held on 27 April. The agenda will include reports from the ECHAMP Management Board and from the different ECHAMP working parties, a report of the activities in 2009, voting on the annual accounts and a presentation of the work programme for the mid- and longer term (that is the terms of office of both the European Parliament and the European Commission).

Our sector is faced with major challenges in the legal and regulatory environment for our products which require change during the current legislative term of the European Commission and the European Parliament (2009-2014). The need to protect the well-established European traditions of homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine and their products has never been greater. Improved and continued availability of the full range of medicinal products for both health professionals and patients needs to be ensured.

Our major concern remains the need for a better and appropriate legal and regulatory environment for homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products across Europe, that takes into account the therapeutic system which is the basis for these products. We are indeed confident that will be dealt with in Brussels and Strasburg in the short term. This will be the main focus of the discussion at the Membership Assembly.

We look forward to meeting you in Madrid.

Nand De Herdt
ECHAMP President