European Public Health News * Health Impact Assessment--A Challenge for Eupha's Capacity Building? * Message from the WHO Regional Director for Europe: Addressing Health Inequities * EU action in health: providing added value * Amsterdam 2010: 3rd European Public Health Conference--update * EUSPR--Preventing substance misuse in young people: emerging evidence for psycho-social developmental interventions

Abstract

We are pleased to provide you with interesting news from the key players in European public health. Our president’s column discusses a role for EUPHA in Health Impact Assessment; Dr Jakab from WHO/EURO informs on the proposal on a European Public Health policy to tackle health inequities and Mr Fahy from DG Sanco describes the added value of the EU in public health. The paper on the 3rd joint European Public Health Conference update shows that all these points will be addressed in Amsterdam in November. Finally, the European Society for Prevention Research presents the theme of preventing substance misuse in young people. # Health Impact Assessment—A Challenge for Eupha’s Capacity Building? {#article-title-2} Health Impact Assessment (HIA) was invented as a means of assessing the health impacts of policies, plans and projects in diverse economic sectors using quantitative, qualitative and participatory techniques. According to WHO, HIA is a practical approach used to judge the potential health effects of a policy, programme or project on a population, particularly on vulnerable or disadvantaged groups. Recommendations are produced for decision-makers and stakeholders, with the aim of maximizing the proposal’s positive health effects and minimizing its negative health effects. HIA can be a valuable tool for helping to develop policy and assisting decision-makers. HIA has come a long way and evolution in the past two decades since one of its earliest applications to construction projects in developing countries, originating from the environmental impact assessment.1 A number of European countries already have considerable experience with applying HIA at various levels, although it has focused more at project than policy level. In 2004, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies launched a 3-year multi-country project on the effectiveness of HIA. The results showed that HIA implementation and institutionalization are incomplete in all concerned countries. None of the countries have strengthened and developed all the …