HEATED COMMUNITY HUB
HCH
Heated Community Hub è un’associazione senza scopo di lucro impegnata nella promozione della salute pubblica attraverso la diffusione di informazioni scientificamente fondate e accessibili sul tema della riduzione del danno da fumo (Tobacco Harm Reduction – THR).
ID: 347372799139-19
Lobbying Activity
Response to Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness
20 Oct 2025
Heated Community Hub (HCH), welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop a Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness, recognizing it as a key step towards a more sustainable and solidarity-based form of governance. Promoting fairness between generations means ensuring that todays political, economic and environmental decisions do not compromise the health, well-being, and opportunities of future generations. The COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis have shown that the vulnerabilities of our societies are deeply intergenerational: young and older people are exposed in different but complementary ways to health, economic, and informational risks. For this reason, the intergenerational perspective must become a transversal pillar of EU policymaking, together with the principles of One Health, Health in All Policies, and risk proportionality, ensuring that decisions are grounded in evidence and focused on prevention. 1. Health, prevention, and risk behaviour HCH underlines that public health is one of the areas where intergenerational fairness can deliver tangible results. Health policies should promote lifelong health education and prevention, with particular attention to addiction and the reduction of harmful behaviours such as tobacco use. Integrating harm reduction within public health strategies means offering citizens of all ages safer alternatives and real opportunities to improve their quality of life, while avoiding relapse into more dangerous practices. An intergenerational approach to health should foster dialogue among generations to share knowledge, experience, and positive role models, countering misinformation and stigma. 2. Environmental justice and sustainability The health of the planet is inseparable from human health. Younger generations will inherit the consequences of todays environmental choicesfrom air pollution to waste produced by harmful consumption patterns. The EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness should explicitly integrate the environmental dimension of health, supporting preventive policies that reduce the ecological footprint of production and consumption systems, including those linked to tobacco. Promoting sustainable lifestyles and empowering citizens of all ages are long-term investments in resilience and climate justice. 3. Participation and democratic inclusion Building an equitable society across generations requires active and continuous citizen participation. HCH supports the inclusion of civil society organisations in the co-creation processes led by the Commission, particularly in defining priorities related to health, prevention, and environmental education. Intergenerational organisations can act as a bridge between citizens, institutions, and the scientific community, strengthening trust and transparency in public policies. 4. Innovation, knowledge, and reducing inequalities Intergenerational fairness also entails fair access to knowledge and technology. It is essential to foster a culture of accessible and inclusive science, enabling all generations to understand both the risks and opportunities of technological change, and to use information responsibly in health and environmental matters. Investing in research on sustainable innovation and harm-reduction models can produce shared benefits and support the economic sustainability of European health systems. 5. Conclusion For Heated Community Hub, the Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness is an opportunity to redefine EU policies as policies of collective responsibility, where health and environmental protection become a shared commitment. Promoting fairness between generations means investing in prevention, knowledge, and sustainabilityensuring that todays choices strengthen the right of future generations to live in a healthier, better-informed, and more cohesive Europe.
Read full responseResponse to Union prevention, preparedness, and response plan for health crises
9 Oct 2025
Heated Community Hub (HCH), accoglie con favore liniziativa della Commissione Europea per la definizione del Piano di prevenzione, preparazione e risposta dellUnione alle crisi sanitarie, previsto dallarticolo 5 del Regolamento (UE) 2022/2371. Lesperienza della pandemia di COVID-19 ha evidenziato la necessità di rafforzare la capacità di risposta comune dellUE, superando la frammentazione delle competenze e garantendo un approccio realmente One Health, che integri salute umana, animale e ambientale. Il Piano rappresenta unoccasione strategica per consolidare una governance sanitaria europea fondata su coordinamento, trasparenza e prevenzione strutturale. 1. Prevenzione e Pianificazione Strutturale: Un Approccio Allargato Apprezziamo che il Piano riconosca minacce diversificate, dai rischi climatici alla resistenza antimicrobica. La prevenzione deve essere un investimento strategico in resilienza sociale, basato su politiche di riduzione del rischio, coerentemente con il principio di proporzionalità e le evidenze scientifiche. Ciò richiede l'integrazione delle dimensioni ambientale e sociale, valorizzando il principio Health in All Policies e promuovendo campagne coordinate di informazione e educazione sanitaria. 2. Preparazione e coordinamento operativo: dalla teoria alla pratica Sosteniamo la creazione di un quadro europeo permanente di pianificazione. Per rendere operative le "disposizioni comuni" citate dalla Commissione, il Piano dovrebbe prevedere: Una piattaforma integrata di sorveglianza che raccolga dati sanitari, ambientali e sociali per una valutazione multilivello del rischio. Esercitazioni periodiche e stress test per verificare la prontezza dei sistemi sanitari e l'interoperabilità tra Stati membri e agenzie europee (ECDC, EMA, HERA). Il coinvolgimento strutturato delle organizzazioni della società civile e della comunità scientifica nella definizione dei protocolli, portando un punto di vista prossimo ai cittadini. 3. Risposta coordinata e comunicazione del rischio: costruire fiducia La gestione delle crisi richiede procedure chiare e un sistema di comunicazione trasparente e accessibile. Una comunicazione del rischio efficace, coordinata a livello UE ma adattata a livello nazionale, è essenziale per prevenire la disinformazione e promuovere comportamenti responsabili. Le organizzazioni civiche possono essere partner cruciali in questo sforzo, fungendo da ponte di fiducia tra le istituzioni e i cittadini. La fiducia è una risorsa strategica tanto quanto le contromisure mediche. 4. One Health e sostenibilità: un Impegno sistemico Il Piano deve consolidare un approccio One Health che consideri in modo sistemico le interconnessioni tra salute, ambiente e clima. È necessario promuovere la ricerca e l'innovazione su strategie di mitigazione del rischio ambientale e sanitario, in sinergia con la strategia UE di adattamento climatico e con gli obiettivi dellAgenda 2030. Heated Community Hub sostiene con convinzione lobiettivo di unUnione della Salute più resiliente e integrata. Siamo pronti a contribuire alla sua realizzazione, offrendo la nostra esperienza nel dialogo con i cittadini. Il Piano UE deve garantire una preparazione comune, uninformazione trasparente e una risposta coordinata, valorizzando la collaborazione tra istituzioni, scienza e società civile. Solo un approccio europeo basato su prevenzione, proporzionalità del rischio e cooperazione multilivello potrà rafforzare la sicurezza sanitaria collettiva e la fiducia dei cittadini.
Read full responseResponse to Targeted revision of the EU rules for medical devices and in vitro diagnostics
1 Oct 2025
Heated Community Hub (HCH), a non-profit association committed to promoting public health and tobacco harm reduction, welcomes the European Commissions initiative to carry out a targeted revision of Regulations (EU) 2017/745 (MDR) and 2017/746 (IVDR). We believe this revision represents a crucial step to ensure a high level of health protection, equitable access to medical devices, and the opportunity to foster scientific and technological innovation. We share the Commissions objective of regulatory simplification, but stress that this must go hand in hand with the highest attention to patient and healthcare professional safety. Shortcuts that could compromise the quality of devices placed on the market must be avoided. At the same time, continuity of supply and the strengthening of notified bodies capacity must be guaranteed. It is also essential to clearly distinguish the requirements for high-risk devices from those for lower-risk products, so as not to burden the system with disproportionate bureaucratic obligations. We welcome the focus on digitalization of certification and surveillance processes, which should be accompanied by interoperable EU-wide platforms and strong guarantees for the protection of personal data. Equally, the revision should integrate an environmental perspective, consistent with the One Health principle, by promoting eco-design, reuse, and proper waste management. Transparency and the active involvement of citizens, patients, and civic associations must remain central to the process, since only participatory regulation can strengthen public trust in European institutions. In conclusion, Heated Community Hub strongly supports the targeted revision of MDR and IVDR, provided it combines simplification with scientific rigor, proportionality with health protection, and innovation with sustainability. Only a regulatory framework built on these foundations can ensure that European citizens have access to safe, effective, and environmentally responsible medical devices.
Read full responseResponse to EU cardiovascular health plan
1 Sept 2025
The Heated Community Hub welcomes the European Commissions initiative on a comprehensive EU Plan for Cardiovascular Health. Our contribution highlights the significant role of tobacco smoking in cardiovascular disease and stresses the need to distinguish between the harms of combustion and nicotine. In line with WHO (2025) and ISS (2023) guidance, we recommend that cessation programmes remain the cornerstone of tobacco control, while harm reduction strategies may play a complementary role for adult smokers unable to quit through conventional methods, with strong safeguards to protect youth. We also draw attention to the environmental burden of tobacco, which causes deforestation, CO emissions and pollution, thus linking health and sustainability. Finally, we emphasize the importance of transparent, science-based information and the involvement of citizen communities in shaping effective and inclusive cardiovascular prevention policies.
Read full responseResponse to Digital Networks Act
11 Jul 2025
Heated Community Hub, an association committed to promoting digital rights, sustainability, and consumer protection, wishes to submit the following comments regarding the upcoming Digital Networks Act (DNA) currently being assessed by the European Commission. 1. Method and independence We express serious concerns regarding the consultation procedure, particularly the decision to delegate preparatory activities to private entities (EY and WIK-Consult), which are closely linked to large market players. This compromises the neutrality of the evaluation process and undermines transparency. Regulation in a strategic sector such as digital connectivity demands impartial and public-interest-driven governance, as well as genuine civic participation. 2. Challenging flawed assumptions: pluralism over gigantism The DNA appears to be based on three flawed premises: a presumed structural lag of the EU in digital infrastructure, the belief that only large operators ("EU champions") can drive innovation and investment, and the idea that market forces should operate with minimal regulation. Heated Community Hub contends that a healthy digital ecosystem depends on pluralism, territorial proximity, and density economies, not only on size. Evidence from AGCOM (20182022) shows that small and medium operators in Italy performed better than incumbents due to their efficiency and adaptability to local needs. 3. Preserve the balance of the EECC The current European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) has proven to provide a solid regulatory framework, effectively balancing investment promotion, market competition, and end-user protection. The ex-ante SMP-based approach, combined with symmetric access rules, has enabled infrastructure competition and reduced prices while safeguarding digital rights. Replacing this flexible and proven framework with a vague and centralized regulation inspired by the Gigabit Infrastructure Act would create legal uncertainty and weaken user safeguards. 4. Specific comments on the five policy areas Simplification: We support reducing red tape but oppose simplification that results in the erosion of safeguards or the removal of asymmetric regulation where necessary. Spectrum: Spectrum is a scarce public resource. Its management must remain transparent, competitive, and nationally adaptable, especially to serve rural and industrial areas. We strongly oppose automatic license extensions or preferential access for non-EU satellite constellations. Access: The copper switch-off must be gradual, with protections for underserved areas. Harmonized access products should be optional and adapted to local market conditions. Level playing field: Net neutrality must remain a guiding principle. "Innovative services" must not be allowed to undermine open internet rules, user rights, or competition. Governance: Strengthening the role of BEREC or the Commission must not compromise the autonomy and effectiveness of national regulatory authorities (NRAs), which are closest to local market realities and citizens needs. 5. Final recommendations Heated Community Hub recommends: Maintaining the EECC as the main regulatory framework, with selective and proportionate updates where needed; Avoiding disruptive legal changes that risk undermining legal certainty and discouraging investment; Preserving users digital rights, including access equity, network neutrality, and technological sustainability; Publishing an official draft of the DNA for proper public scrutiny and stakeholder engagement. We remain available to participate in further consultations to ensure a digital future for Europe that is inclusive, competitive, and built on trust.
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