Report of the third meeting of the European Environment and Health Taskforce (EHTF)

The European Environment and Health Taskforce (EHTF) held its third meeting in December 2013 in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting’s purpose was to address statutory and governance issues, review progress towards the achievement of the Parma commitments, discuss the preparation of the high level mid-term review meeting of the EHTF to be held in 2014 and initiate discussion on possible themes and priorities for the agenda of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, to be held in 2016. The EHTF decided to establish the Health in Climate Change (HIC) group as a subsidiary body of the European Health Process and an ad-hoc working group to facilitate communication between the EHTF and the European Environment and Health Ministerial Board and to assist in preparations for the upcoming mid-term review meeting. The progress made towards achieving the Parma commitments was welcomed and it was agreed that priority should be given to the time-bound targets contained therein. It was also agreed that an editorial group should be established to assist in the preparation of the report for the mid-term review. A brain storming session was held on possible themes for the next Ministerial Conference and the possible format that conference could take.