Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-05-Speech-2-361"
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"en.20060905.27.2-361"2
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".
Mr President, I should like to thank all the honourable Members for the very interesting and useful debate. I shall be brief.
The best conclusion one could draw from the debate today is that here, as well as in the rest of the consultation process, there is broad support for the establishment of a new strategy on mental health. This is a very positive signal for the Commission going forward, because throughout the general consultation process, the parliamentary process and the process of consulting the Member States, similar levels of support have been expressed for these efforts. The truth is that there is added value for an initiative and strategy at European level and that is why we intend to come forward with a strategy very soon.
Amongst other things, it is very important that we promote cooperation on mental health between Member States, between stakeholders and between different sectors. Involving all relevant sectors in the effort to provide better public health is an important aspect of the new strategy. As I said at the beginning, we intend to place mental health at the core of our health strategy and the public health initiatives.
Schools and workplaces have a greater influence on mental well-being than the actual health sector. Teaching parenting skills is also important. Older people must have opportunities to participate actively in social life.
Many very interesting issues have been raised and we will take them into account when we draft the strategy. We will look into prevention and, as you know from previous debates, it is my basic important commitment and the basis of my strategy for this term to promote prevention and not just treatment.
Gender aspects will be taken into account. When we had a similar debate here on the gender aspects of health, I said that our policies from then on would take into account the gender aspects in all our health initiatives and in the various areas of research, promotion, prevention, care, treatment and rehabilitation. They will all take gender into account. It
be reflected in the strategy document that the Commission will prepare. As I said, we will be looking into prevention and some of the causes, not all of which are avoidable, of course – such as ageing, for example.
Ageing is a reality and a fact. We have an ageing population. The point is to make ageing healthy. We are living longer and we need to be healthy in our old age, and mental health is a very important aspect of that.
I should like to finish by saying, in the light of all the numbers and statistics that have been mentioned here, that this is just the tip of the iceberg. It is not only those who suffer from mental health who are affected: there are also the families, friends, employers, employees and colleagues. The truth is that the whole of society suffers as a result of mental health problems. That is why perhaps the best achievement of this whole process, including the strategy, would be to make mental health a priority, not only for the European Union – I believe we in the Commission and in the European Parliament have already done that – but also for each Member State separately and the Community as a whole."@en1
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