Press Release: Consultation backs EU action on health services

The majority of contributors to the Commission's recent consultation favour some form of Community action on health services, combining both legislative elements and practical support for cooperation between European health systems. EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou presented the results of this consultation to the Informal Health Council in Aachen, Germany on 20 April 2007. Contributors saw a need for better information to patients to enable informed choices about cross-border care and greater clarity about the procedures to follow, with a broad consensus that quality and safety of healthcare should be ensured by the country where treatment is provided.