EESC opinion: Health Strategy

EESC opinion: Health Strategy

Key points:

Conclusions and recommendations

  • The EESC welcomes the Commission's White Paper entitled "Together for health."
  • The EESC approves the Council's recognition of fundamental and shared health values, universality, access to good quality care, equity and solidarity.
  • The EESC agrees with and supports the Commission in its view that active European citizenship only makes sense if underpinned by fundamental rights and ensuring patients' rights.
  • The EESC agrees with the Commission's priorities.
  • The EESC is in favour of launching more targeted compilation and joint evaluation of data at Community level to ensure successful implementation of the strategy.
  • The EESC believes that those patients requiring cross-border healthcare should receive information about their rights to quality care.
  • The EESC welcomes the Commission's declaration on reducing the serious inequalities that exist between and within Member States.
  • The EESC supports the Commission in its intention to strengthen and promote prevention, and welcomes its efforts to promote health awareness programmes targeted at different age groups.
  • The EESC suggests launching a "Healthy European Citizen" long-term campaign, to last for the entire five years of the strategy.
  • The EESC emphasises the importance of broad stakeholder involvement in disseminating knowledge about the strategy, stimulating discussion about it and implementing it.
  • The EESC is disappointed that a strategy which concerns all EU citizens has not been given a budget of its own.