Close of the Health Ministers Meeting in Madrid The EU countries agree to strengthen their health policies regarding the most vulnerable groups - Montesquieu Institute

The Spanish Minster for Health and Social Policy, Trinidad Jiménez, and the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, brought to a close the Informal Meeting of Health Ministers in Madrid, at which they agreed to strengthen policies aimed at the most vulnerable groups, to ensure social equity and equal access to health care.

They also addressed matters such as the HINI (‘swine flu’) pandemic, the European directive on transplantation and the Spanish proposal for freeing up the cross-border health care directive, which was rejected at the Health Council last December.

Trinidad Jiménez expressed her satisfaction that the European directive on organ transplantation, which to a great extent is based on the Spanish model, could be approved by the European Parliament in May. She hopes that it will be approved at first reading.

With regard to the cross-border prevision of health care services, which is complicated largely by the need to work out who pays for health care provided in another country, the minister explained the progress represented by Regulation 883 coming into effect in May, for which fifteen EU countries including Spain have already expressed their support.

The Spanish Presidency’s proposal for trying to move negotiations forwards hinges on the idea that, if a European citizen resident in another EU country receives medical treatment in their country of origin, it is that country and not the country in which they reside which assumes the cost of the service.

The Spanish proposal also applies the dual legal basis to the whole directive and not just to some of the articles, as appeared in the text which was rejected. Spain also puts emphasis on ensuring the quality of the service provided and on the need for prior authorisation from a doctor for moving the patient to another country, except in case of accidents and emergency interventions.

One year on from the appearance of H1N1 (‘swine flu’), the Director-General of the WHO, Margaret Chan, informed the European ministers about the situation with regard to the pandemic, which has produced 17 700 victims in 213 countries. Both the Spanish minister and Mr Dalli emphasised the good coordination and exchange of information between the twenty-seven Member States, but pointed out the need to continue making progress with the joint handling of health crises. In the future, this could include coordinating the purchase of vaccines with the same criteria and pricing conditions.

With regard to health-care inequalities, the EU ministers agreed to improve monitoring systems to identify the most vulnerable groups, such as immigrants, ethnic minorities, the disabled and socially excluded groups.

Mr Dalli pointed out that some EU countries have infant mortality rates five times higher than others. Therefore, one of the strategic approaches is aimed at ensuring primary healthcare for children and pregnant women, whatever their legal situation. This includes vaccination programmes and programmes for the prevention and early detection of disease.

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  Video: Statement by Spain's minister of Health, Trinidad Jiménez, at the press conference following the Informal Meeting of Health ministers