Strasbourg, 26/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 26 September, the European Commission adopted its communication on health services and cross-border healthcare, following discussion in the College of Commissioners on 5 September (see EUROPE 9259). This communication will provide the framework for wide public consultation on how to ensure legal certainty regarding cross-border healthcare under Community law, on the one hand, and to support cooperation between the health systems of the Member States, on the other. The consultation exercise is seeking input on such issues as: - where greater legal certainty is required to facilitate cross-border healthcare practice (e.g. terms and conditions under which cross-border healthcare may be authorised and paid for, whose rules apply, what happens when things go wrong); - areas where European action can support Member States, such as network centres of reference and realising the potential of health innovation); - what tools would be appropriate to tackle these different issues at EU level, whether binding legal instruments, “soft law” or other means; - and the current impact of cross-border healthcare on accessibility, quality, financial sustainability of healthcare systems, both for “sending” and “receiving” countries. The deadline for responses is 31 January 2007. The Commission will bring forward proposals later in 2007.