(Brussels, 8 December 2009) Under the Swedish EU presidency, it was not possible to reach political agreement on the Proposal for a Directive on the Application of Patients’ Rights in Cross-border Healthcare (1 December).
As previously stated in the joint declaration on health services (December 2007), EPSU and HOSPEEM, the recognised European social partners in the health care sector, have continuously urged governments not to introduce any measures that could threaten the principles of (...)

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(31 May 2009, Brussels) The PES group in the Committee of the Regions(CoR) is not satisfied with the directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border health care, adopted in first reading by the European Parliament’s plenary, on 23 April. At a seminar entitled ‘Crossborder cooperation on health services’, held on 22 May in Palma de Mallorca, attended also by EPSU speakers, representatives of the group expressed their hope that the new (...)

(20 May 2009)
At its meeting of 21 April, the EPSU Executive Committee endorsed the enclosed declaration for general dissemination;
EPSU affiliates are to contact their governments on the basis of the Executive Committee declaration and EPSU letter to EU Health Ministers.
We have regularly updated you on the state of play with regard to the so-called Cross-Border Healthcare Directive. The EPSU Executive Committee of November 2008 received a detailed analysis of the draft directive and (...)

(23 April 2009, Brussels) The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) expresses disappointment with today’s vote in the European Parliament on the patient mobility directive. By a margin of just 4 votes, the MEPs voted against allowing the directive to have a joint legal basis of public health and the internal market. The joint basis would have allowed Member States to ensure that all citizens have equal rights to high quality healthcare based on medical need, and not just the (...)

Decision could put healthcare provision ‘at risk of worst aspects of internal market’

(21 April 2009, Brussels) The Executive Committee of the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) has today passed a declaration on the Patient Mobility Directive.

On 23/24 April, the European Parliament (EP) will take a major decision on how healthcare is defined in the European Union. The EP is due to take a position on the legal basis of the directive and whether it should be national healthcare systems, or the internal market that is responsible (...)

(31 March 2009, Brussels) The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) has today expressed disappointment at the decision of the European Parliament Committee on Environment and Public Health (ENVI). The Committee have decided to endorse the Commission’s proposal to make the Internal Market the legal basis for cross-border healthcare provisions. EPSU representatives had strongly called for a legal basis that protected the Member States ability to schedule healthcare based on (...)

(20 March 2009, Brussels) From Monday (23 March), EPSU health workers throughout the European Union are set for a week long lobbying drive of Members of the European Parliament. Their aim? To try to keep healthcare in the European Union open to all. On 31 March, the committee charged with public health issues (ENVI) is set to vote on the controversial ‘”cross border healthcare package”.
The members of the committee have a simple choice according to EPSU General Secretary Carola (...)

Roland Ries: «L’harmonisation des soins de santé transfrontaliers est quasi-impossible»
Le sénateur socialiste et maire de Strasbourg a présenté, le 18 février à la commission des Affaires européennes du Sénat, un rapport sur la proposition de directive sur les soins de santé transfrontaliers, présenté en juillet 2008 par la Commission européenne.
Dans votre rapport vous estimez que la directive sur les soins de santé transfrontaliers n’est «pas acceptable en l’état». Comment en êtes-vous arrivé à cette (...)

(10 March 2009, Brussels) NEW UPDATE on Healthcare for all campaign! The ENVI Committee has decided to postpone the vote on the draft directive on crossborder healthcare until Tuesday 31 March. We would like to thank all affiliates for their tireless lobbying over the last week, and urge you to continue the good work between now and the end of the month.
The Conference of Presidents in the European Parliament will discuss the issue of competence between committees on Thursday 12 March. EPSU (...)

Das Gesundheitswesen ist eine zentrale Aufgabe der öffentlichen Daseinsversorgung. Die hier erbrachten Dienstleistungen sind für das Leben von Patienten von hoher Bedeutung und keine "Marktgüter". Deshalb - die Sicherung von Patientenrechten ja, aber nicht zum Preis der Einführung der Binnenmarktregeln in das Gesundheitswesen. Gesundheitsversorgung ist soziale und öffentliche Aufgabe und muss in der Verantwortung der Mitgliedsstaaten der EU bleiben. Nur so ist für den Patienten Tranparenz, (...)