All Environment and Health focal points from environment and health Ministries in the countries of the WHO European Region have been invited to attend to the second Meeting of the CEHAPE Task Force to take place in Edinburg, UK on October 20-21st. The meeting will be hosted by the Department of Health of the United Kingdom.

The meeting will focus on four main areas:
 Chemicals and other agents - what progress is being made in reducing childrens’ exposure? Participants will examine the implementation in countries of Regional Priority Goal IV of the CEHAPE, reducing the risk of disease and disability from exposure to hazardous chemicals, physical and biological agents, and hazardous working environments;
 Indoor and air pollution - recent developments This concerns the implementation of CEHAPE Regional Priority Goal III, reducing respiratory disease from indoor and air pollution.
 Involving young people in protecting youth and future generations from environmental health hazards. Participants will discuss the youth strategy workshop held in Dublin, Ireland, from 27-28 September 2005 and the way forward regarding youth involvement;
 A report on the legislation project (identifying European legislation) on children’s health and environment.

EPHA Environment Network is taking part to the event as a representative of the health NGOs.

ABOUT THE CEHAPE TASK FORCE

The Children’s Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) was further endorsed by the 52 signatory countries through the Regional Committee Resolution EUR/RC54/R3, which also reconstituted the European Environment and Health Committee (EEHC). The Budapest Conference Declaration called upon this Committee to

‘establish a CEHAPE Task Force with the participation of Member States, international organizations and NGOS, in order to facilitate and stimulate implementation of the CEHAPE, with particular attention paid to the sharing of best practices and the dissemination of information and experiences among the Member States.’

At its first post-Budapest Conference meeting, held in Paris in January 2005, the EEHC established the CEHAPE Task Force and its terms of reference and set up its rules of procedure. According to them, the officially designated national environment and health focal points will comprise the Task Force, in which youth representation should participate and EEHC members may also take part.

The first meeting of the CEHAPE Task Force took place in April 2005. It discussed how best to interact with the EEHC, thereby ensuring appropriate and timely reporting back to this Committee. The first Task Force meeting also created opportunities for countries to report back on national implementation, and demonstrated how such reports would be made available through the CEHAPE website. Finally the Task Force established a thematic work plan to ensure that all priority areas of the CEHAPE would be reported upon by the mid-term intergovernmental meeting in 2007.