Article 168 of the EU Treaty states that the organisation, management, financing and delivery of healthcare are the responsibility of the EU Member States. However, several judgments of the European Court of Justice have confirmed that patients have in certain cases the right to access healthcare products and services in other Member States than their own, with the cost being borne by their own health system.
In September 2006, the Commission launched a consultation with all stakeholders involved in the health services sector to explore measures for a developing a Community Framework for Safe, High Quality and Efficient Health Services.
On 2 July 2008, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare. This draft Directive went through a lengthy process with the European Parliament and Council, with failure to reach agreement during several successive EU Presidencies, before a compromise was finally agreed under the Belgian EU Presidency in the second half of 2010.
EPF worked intensively with its members and allies to promote a patients’ perspective in the legal text. Our work with the successive rapporteurs in the Parliament was very fruitful, but the final compromise text naturally reflects the concerns of many Member States who chose to adopt a more cautious, and less ambitious, stance than the Parliament.
On 1 December 2010, EPF organised a high-level roundtable on the draft Directive, that presented the views of a range of different stakeholders and policy-makers, the European Commission and the Parliament. A full report of the event is available here.
To see EPF’s position statements please refer to the Related Documents section to your right.
Page last modified: 4th February 2010
EPF’s Response Health Services’ consultation (2006)
EPF statement on the Commission proposal (2008)
EPF position letter on the draft recommendation for second reading (November 2010)
Summary statement from the EPF Roundtable (December 2010)