8.7.2011   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 202/10

1.

RECALLS that under Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities; as well as Union action is to complement national policies and be directed towards improving public health; it is also to encourage cooperation between the Member States in the field of public health and, if necessary, lend support to their action, and fully respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care;

2.

RECALLS the Council conclusions on the Commission White Paper ‘Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU, 2008-2013’ adopted on 6 December 2007;

3.

RECALLS the Council conclusions on common values and principles in EU health systems adopted on 2 June 2006 (1), and particularly the overarching values of universality, access to good quality care, equity and solidarity;

4.

RECALLS the Tallinn Charter on Health Systems for Health and Wealth, signed on 27 June 2008 under the auspices of the World Health Organisation (WHO);

5.

RECALLS the Joint Report on Health Systems prepared by the European Commission (EC) and the Economic Policy Committee (EPC) finalised on 23 November 2010, as well as the Council conclusions on the EC-EPC Joint Report on Health Systems, adopted on 7 December 2010;

6.

ACKNOWLEDGES the work carried out by the Social Protection Committee (SPC) and RECALLS the objectives agreed within the framework of the Open Method of Coordination for social protection and social inclusion at the European Council of March 2006 to ensure accessible, high-quality and sustainable healthcare and long-term care;

7.

RECALLS the discussion at the Informal Meeting of Ministers of Health held in Gödöllő on 4-5 April 2011 on ‘Patient and Professional Pathways in Europe — Investing in the health systems of the future’;

8.

RECALLS the Europe 2020 Strategy and WELCOMES the Commission's initiative in bringing forward the pilot European Innovation Partnership on ‘Active and Healthy Ageing’ and its ongoing work;

9.

RECOGNISES that Member States face common challenges due to an ageing population, changing population needs, increasing patient expectations, rapid technology diffusion and growing costs of healthcare as well as due to the current uncertain and fragile economic climate resulting particularly from the recent global economic and financial crisis which is progressively limiting the resources available to Member States' health systems. The growing rise of chronic diseases represents one of the major challenges to health systems;

10.

RECOGNISES that, whilst ensuring equitable access to high quality healthcare services in circumstances of scarce economic and other resources has always been a key question, at present it is the scale and urgency of the situation that is changing and, if unaddressed, it could become a crucial factor in the future economic and social landscape of the EU;

11.

RECOGNISES the need for smart and responsible innovation, including social and organisational innovation, to balance future demands against affordable and sustainable resources in order to be able to respond to all these challenges;

12.

CALLS for the need that the health sector should play an adequate role in the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Investments in health should be acknowledged as a contributor to economic growth. While health is a value in itself, it is also a pre-condition to achieve economic growth;

13.

EMPHASISES that in order to create modern, responsive, efficient, effective and financially sustainable health systems that provide equitable access to health services for all, European Structural Fund resources can be used, without prejudice to the negotiations on the future financial framework, in complementing the financing of health sector development of eligible regions of Member States, including inter alia capital investments, particularly because:

14.

EMPHASISES the fundamental importance of the effectiveness of investments in the health systems of the future, which should be measured and monitored by the respective Member States;

15.

RECOGNISES the importance of evidence-based policy-making and decision-making processes supported by adequate health information systems;

16.

RECOGNISES that, in the European Union, there is a need for sharing evidence on health systems' modernisation and of new healthcare approaches;

17.

RECOGNISES that health promotion and disease prevention are key factors for the long-term sustainability of health systems;

18.

EMPHASISES that the availability of sufficient numbers of adequately trained health professionals in each Member State, is a key pre-condition for the operation of modern, dynamic health systems and each Member State should fulfil its needs and adhere to the WHO Global Code of Practice on international recruitment;

19.

EMPHASISES the need to join forces and enter into more coordinated EU-level cooperation in order to support Member States, when appropriate, in their efforts to ensure that their health systems meet future challenges, building on results achieved through national and EU initiatives, as well as activities carried out by intergovernmental organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the WHO;

20.

UNDERLINES the leading role of Ministers of Health in developing and pursuing effective, health policy-driven approaches in order to adequately address macroeconomic, health and societal challenges including those related to ageing population, and ensure future long-term health sector strategies, with particular emphasis on health sector investment and human resource strategies;

21.

INVITES Member States to:

22.

INVITES Member States and the Commission to:

23.

INVITES the Commission to: