EU – Baltic States, Health, Legislation, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

Andriukaitis, a nominee to the EP Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, spoke in four languages – Lithuanian, English, Polish and German. After introducing himself, he listed the priorities.

The nominee said that Europe needs a new health incentive and health funding is not only expenditure but an investment in human capital and productivity. According to Andriukaitis, health is the primary value in society, thus, he would support the joint efforts of member states investing in health and saving lives. "I will make efforts to help member states to improve sustainability and efficiency of their health systems, in order to ensure equal access to health care for every citizen ()," said Andriukaitis.

Andriukaitis added that it is essential to ensure universal health care, primary health care, improve quality and nursing, and promote e-health. Andriukaitis opposed the reduction of food safety and control standards.

Andriukaitis pledged Andriukaitis to oppose the import of some U.S. foodstuffs such as chemically-treated meat that Washington hopes to be able to sell to Europe under a planned multi-billion-dollar transatlantic trade deal, Reuters reports.

In comments at his confirmation hearing in the European Parliament that will delight EU heavyweights France and Germany, Vytenis Andriukaitis also said genetically modified crops posed a "philosophical problem" that threatened Europe's biodiversity.

The United States, now in negotiations with the European Union on a free trade pact that would create a joint market of 800 million people, wants the 28-nation bloc to take a more science-based approach to GM crops and hormone-treated meat.

"I cannot make any compromises on this issue, whether it is hormones in meat or chlorine baths for poultry," Andriukaitis told EU lawmakers in the hearing on his nomination to be head of health and food safety policy in the next European Commission.

"Cultivation of GMOS is a huge problem from a philosophical point of view," said Andriukaitis, a doctor by training, about GM crops. "If we want to interfere with biodiversity, we have to be very vigilant and cautious."

Andriukaitis did not evaluate his performance but said that answering questions of the European Parliament members was a certain experience.

"Personally I feel pleased. The opportunity to be here and talk, convince and discuss is a huge step forward in itself. We will know soon if members of the European Parliament were also persuaded," Andriukaitis told the Lithuanian journalists in Brussels.

When asked if he was pleased with performance at the hearings, Andriukaitis said that it was not a beauty contest.

"I know spheres that are unfamiliar to me. Besides, talking at the Parliament is a subtle genre. There are areas were you cannot give any promises or concrete answers as these are very subtle political matters," said the politician.

Lithuanian nominee for health and food safety did not hide that before the hearings at the EP he was trained by a vast team of specialists, former MEPs among them.

Experts have said that Andriukaitis' answers were too abstract, but future European Commission member did not give prominence to this and said that the more criticism there is, the better.

The EP Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will evaluate the candidate's suitability and will submit the candidate for the confirmation by the political leadership of the Parliament.