The government approves the new structure of the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare
Post: Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition
Date: 24 agosto 2018
Section: Consumo
- The Ministry creates new directorate-general of Consumer Affairs in order to guarantee a high level of protection and promotion of consumer and user rights
- The new structure includes a mandate for the creation of the Observatory of Women's Health, as a collegiate body, aimed at the improvement of knowledge about the causes and determinants of women's health
- The Advisory Board extends its competencies to the area of social services, in addition to Health
The Council of Ministers today approved the new organic structure of the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare with Royal Decree 595/2018, which establishes the basic organic structure of the ministerial departments.
Among the new features of this royal decree with respect to the structure established in Royal Decree 485/2017, of 12 May, developing the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, which is now repealed, the following should be highlighted:
A new Directorate-General of Health is created, dependent on the Secretary-General for Health. This Directorate-General will assume the competencies of Consumer Affairs, in order to foster the activity aimed at guaranteeing a high level of protection and promotion of consumer and user rights, by means of efficient and transparent management, through a common understanding which contributes to strengthening public confidence.
This re-structuring arises from the need to recognise the specific area of action with respect to consumer matters, focussed on the mandate of Article 51 of the Spanish Constitution, which entrusts public powers with the responsibility of guaranteeing the defence of consumers and users, protecting, through the use of efficient procedures, their health, safety and legitimate economic interests, in addition to promoting consumer education and information, fostering their organisations and hearing them on matters which may affect those under the terms established by law.
It also includes a mandate for the creation of the Observatory of Women's Health, as a collegiate body of those established in Article 22.3 of Law 40/2015, of 1 October, attached to the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare through the Directorate-General of Public Health, Quality and Innovation. The purpose of this observatory will be to improve knowledge of the causes and determinants of women's health and the dissemination of knowledge which contributes to promoting adequate quality services and the promotion of analysis and studies in collaboration with the social agents involved for achieving results in women's health and quality of life.
The competencies of the Health Advisory Board, which has now been renamed as the Health and Social Services Advisory Board, have also been extended. It is to act as an advisory body and offer assistance to the Minister of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare in the formulation of the health and social welfare policy. These new competencies in the area of social welfare are justified by the link between certain health and collective policies which require greater social protection. These include the chronically ill or the disabled.