Analyse: Die EU-Gesundheitspolitik

Während die EU ursprünglich vor allem eine Wirtschaftsunion war, ist es ihr schrittweise gelungen, eine pragmatische und ehrgeizige Gesundheitspolitik zu entwickeln. In diesem Artikel beschreibt Arnaud Senn, Projektmanager des britischen National Health System (NHS), die Entstehung der EU-Gesundheitspolitik und ihre zukünftigen Zielsetzungen.

In the early days of the Community, health was conceived at best as a mere consequence of the implementation of an integrated economic market. This minimalist approach, partly due to differences in member states‘ social protection systems, prevailed throughout the 1970s.

The emergence of new diseases (AIDS) and new trans-national sanitary risks (mad cow disease) in the 1980s and 1990s represent a turning point: the EU member states realised that the Community institutions could provide for useful policy and technical support to fight the new public health threats. The Commission, in particular, has, since, become a major player in this policy area. The EU harmonised legislation in many areas, while leaving national competences, for example in the field of pharmacovigilance, untouched. In addition, since the adoption of the Single European Act (1986), the legal basis for a European health policy has been further consolidated, thus enabling the European Court of Justice to allow, under certain conditions, for broader social security assistance throughout the EU. 

All in all, this has given birth to a European health policy, which A. Senn describes as „realistic in its objectives“ and „pragmatic in the method it is implemented.“ He also characterises the policy as a result of a broad consensus of a great variety of stakeholders, which uses different instruments (legislation, recommendations, cross-border cooperation, etc.). According to the author, this variety of actors and instruments is, however, by no means detrimental to European health ambitions, which includes, among others, benchmarking health across all EU policies.

To read the full article (in French only) click here.