EPF Council Meeting

Activities of All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Highlights

and Future Follow-up

- Brussels, 28 February 2010 -

 Senator Şerban RĂDULESCU

The Subcommittee for Population and Development

Senate of Romania

Dear colleagues,

Allow me to focus briefly on the current agenda of the Subcommittee for Population in the Senate of Romania, as well as on some recent developments in our working environment, of interest for our future activity.

1.               Firstly, I take the opportunity to inform you that these days we are involved in the examination, in our Standing Committees, of two legislative proposals.

One of them proposes the setting up of medical and social assistance centres for homeless persons.  The main objective is to offer shelter, medical assistance and psychological support to vulnerable groups, particularly women, children and the elderly, since there is a direct link and a vicious circle between poverty and health. We all know that poverty generates malnutrition, limits the access to health care, enhances vulnerability to environmental risks, reduces the work capacity and affects the family as a whole. This challenge becomes even more acute in the context of the economic crisis which impacts on all our societies.

The second legislative proposal aims to harmonize the terms of practice of certain medical professions – midwives, and medical assistants - with the European Union requirements, as regards the liberal nature of these professions and the regulations governing accountability.

2.               For the years 2010 and 2011, the Subcommittee’s main priority is to provide the necessary parliamentary support for the implementation of the Protocol concluded recently between UNFPA and our Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Protection.  In this framework, we have 4 intervention areas:  

a)    Awareness raising on Romania’s demographic challenges - population aging and population decrease, and the promotion of a national strategy to address them;

b)    Further development of policies and programs aimed at fighting domestic violence and at enhancing gender equality;

c)     Capacity building as regards the collection, analysis and use of demographic data, as basis for development policies and programs;

d)    Sharing with other countries - mainly but not exclusively from our region -  experience and good practices in addressing population and development issues.

3.      I will conclude by adding that in the context of our partnership with the UNFPA, we are currently in the process of defining together a future mechanism of cooperation and early consultations between Parliament and the non-governmental sector involved in advocacy activities in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

These are our main priorities and I have to add that we count, as always, on your support in addressing them.

Thank you!