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What a spring!

After a short yet vigorous winter, we are entering the season of April showers, in the ardent hope that they will bring May flowers. Of course, we cannot ignore the “Ice Saints,” but once they are forgotten, the biting frost disappears and we again hasten onwards in the race for well-being, welfare and care!

Another year over, pop the Champagne; a world disappearing, but what’s to remain?

As 2011 comes to a close, we see ourselves in a period of history wherein a collective feeling of anxiety is merging with an every-man-for-himself philosophy. Where do such notions come from? Nations and other bodies, but also individuals surrendering to the lure of ultra-consumerism.

On November 9, 2011, the European Commission adopted proposals for two action programs in support of health and consumers. The programs are anticipated to run from 2014 until 2020, with budgets of €446 million and €197 million respectively. Their goal is to “foster a Europe of healthy, active, informed and empowered citizens, who can contribute to economic growth”.

The health program, entitled “Health for Growth”, aims to support and complement the work of Member States around a limited number of concrete actions in pursuit of the following four objectives:

•    Developing innovative and sustainable health systems;

•    Increasing access to better and safer healthcare for citizens;

•    Promoting health and preventing disease;

•    Protecting citizens from cross-border health threats.

According to John Dally, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, the goal of these programs is to keep European citizens “healthy and active for longer”, which “is good for people and good for jobs and growth”. He says that “the two programs will make a significant contribution to achieving Europe 2020 goals – to create smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by the end of this decade”.

These proposals will now be discussed by the European Parliament and Council of Ministers, with a view to adoption by the end of 2013. This will allow the new “Health” and “Consumer” programs to begin in 2014.

Download the program “Health for Growth”

According to results published on July 28 by Eurostat, the European Union statistics agency, the population of the European Union (EU27) was 502.5 million inhabitants as of January 1st 2011, an increase of 1.4 million people compared to January 1st 2010 and an annual growth rate of +2.7‰. This rate is the result of natural population growth (+1.0‰) combined with the net migration rate (+1.7‰).

As for the Eurozone (EZ17), its population has also increased by 1 million people (an annual rate of +3.1‰) going from 330.9 million inhabitants on January 1st 2010 to 332.0 million as of January 1st 2011. This represents natural growth of +1.0‰ and a net migration rate of +2.1‰.

In 2010, within the EU27, 5.4 million children were born, the birth rate remaining unchanged at 10.7 births per thousand inhabitants. The highest birth rate was recorded in Ireland (+16.5‰) and the lowest in Germany (+8.3‰). Over the same period, there were 4.8 million deaths, representing a gross mortality rate of 9.7 deaths per thousand inhabitants. The highest mortality rate was observed in Bulgaria (+14.6‰) and the lowest in Ireland (+6.2‰). The difference between these two rates corresponds to natural population growth, the highest being observed in Ireland (+10.3‰) and the lowest in Germany and Romania (-2.2‰).

It was further noted that population growth in the EU27 is due predominantly to migratory movements (60%), with the highest net migration rate being that of Luxemburg, at +15.1‰ and the lowest that of Ireland, at -7.5‰.

Globally, the highest relative increase in population is that of Luxemburg (+19.3‰), and the lowest that of Lithuania (-25.7‰).