Brussels, 09/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The ageing population, research costs and demand for quality health care, all of which are increasing, together with the budgetary constraints caused by the economic and financial crisis, are making healthcare reform vital in the European Union, in order to assure their viability. On Friday 6 July, the European Commission adopted a decision to create a group of independent experts tasked with identifying the resources to be implemented to invest intelligently in health and to ensure the long-term viability of the systems (OJ C198).
The experts will focus on reflections already started by the member states on this issue and will examine the reform process already being implemented in certain countries. Whilst the management of health care is unquestionably within the remit of the member states, the coordination of policies and collaboration between the member states to make their systems compatible will provide a genuine added value, the Commission stresses. In the framework of the reflection carried out by the group of experts, the member states are called upon to get on board the process, with a view to an exchange of best practice.
The panel will be made up of 17 experts, specialising in a number of sectors, such as primary health care, hospital care, pharmacology, research and development, prevention and promoting health, the financing of health care systems, patient information systems and health inequalities. The experts will be appointed following a call for tenders, which will be launched in the next few weeks. (IL/transl.fl)