Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission
19.3.2018
In the area of public health, the Commission is not intending to conduct a study on the effects of soft drinks likely to cause steatohepatitis or to promote steatohepatitis screening. Rather than developing disease specific approaches, the Commission supports a holistic approach on health promotion and disease prevention, including healthy nutrition and physical activity which are also determinants related to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is not planning to collect any specific data on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. However, the ECDC has started to monitor hospital data and mortality data relating to cirrhosis and Hepatitis C.
The Commission supports the Member States' actions on reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, especially by children, under the strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related health issues[1], through the High Level Group for Nutrition and Physical Activity[2] and the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health[3]. An action to reduce Added Sugars by 10% — aim to be achieved by 2020 — is currently being implemented and the mid-term evaluation of the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity[4] is ongoing.
The Commission has also supported research on NASH and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by providing funding to 6 projects under the Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development/FP7 (2007-2013)[5] and 20 projects under Horizon 2020 (2014-2017)[6] with a total contribution of EUR 67.5 million. The three remaining years of Horizon 2020 offer further opportunities to support research in this area.
- [1] http://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/documents/nutrition_wp_en.pdf
- [2] http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/high_level_group/index_en.htm
- [3] http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/platform/index_en.htm
- [4] https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/nutrition_physical_activity/docs/childhoodobesity_actionplan_2014_2020_en.pdf
- [5] http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/health/home_en.html
- [6] The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020) https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/