In a debate with the European Commissioner for Health,
CoR members call for a review of the EU's health
competences and for a stronger role for local
authorities based on their responsibilities
EU local and regional governments have warned of
the catastrophic impact not opening borders by the
summer would have on regional economies. During a
debate with the European Commissioner for Health
and Food Safety,
Stella Kyriakides
, members of the European Committee of the Regions
(CoR) said that the EU and its member states have
made efforts to roll out vaccines, avoiding a
national vaccine war, but the absence of a clear
legal EU framework had led to errors that must be
avoided in the future. They offered support to
tackle mistrust of vaccines, to speed up the
administering of vaccines, adding that vaccine
certificates are a step in the right direction but
should not be considered a "silver bullet".
The presence of Commissioner Kyriakides, who
spoke
during the plenary, offered the opportunity to discuss
the current division of health competences between the
EU, national, regional and local levels of government.
In the context of the
Conference on the Future of Europe
, members of the CoR called for a reassessment of such
competences, given the shortcomings encountered in the
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of
increasing preparedness and coordination between all
actors. They called on the EU and Member States to
ensure that the significant role of local and regional
authorities play during health crises is fully
reflected, as they are key to the development of more
resilient and effective health systems across Europe.
The CoR expressed its willingness to take part in the
debate on the "health union", based on the legal
competences of regional and local authorities and of
political responsibilities of regional and local
leaders.
In his
speech
opening the debate,
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
, President of the CoR and Governor of the region of
Central Macedonia, said: "Without solidarity, a
European vaccine war would have raged, leaving many
countries, regions and cities behind. Nevertheless,
people want a return to normality and we must safely
open Europe for the summer. A COVID-19 vaccine travel
certificate is a step forward, even if alone it is not
the silver bullet. This dreadful disease has shown that
we need more Europe in health to be better prepared in
the future and that every level of government – from
the international to the local and regional level – all
play a fundamental part. Our Committee stands ready to
debate the health union, based on our own local and
regional competencies in line with the EU's guiding
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Only
together can we do better and deliver faster. By
empowering local and regional governments, we can turn
around the flailing vaccine campaign and lay the
foundations for more border openings in view of the
summer."
Commissioner Kyriakides and members of
the CoR also discussed a package of health-related
measures developed since the onset of the pandemic, on
the
EU4Health
programme, the
cross-border healthcare
directive, and a health emergency-management system.
The CoR issued recommendations on all three themes last
October.
Birgitta Sacrédeus
(SE/EPP), member of Dalarna Regional Council and CoR
rapporteur on the
EU Health Emergency Mechanism
, said: "It is very good to see the CoR's calls for an
EU health-emergency mechanism taking shape, in the form
of the
Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Authority
. Resilience depends on preparation, and, for that, we
need robust structures of cooperation and
well-established lines of communication. I am confident
that HERA can help villages, cities and regions to face
future pandemics and the scale of the devastation seen
in the past year. But we must ensure that the
determinant role that local and regional authorities
play in crisis situations is fully reflected."
Speaking about the
EU4Health
programme, which the European Parliament approved on 9
March, the CoR's rapporteur –
Nathalie Sarrabezolles
(FR/PES), President of the Finistère Departmental
Council – said in a statement before the plenary: "The
€5.1 billion provided by the EU4Health programme will
fight health inequalities, ensure that medicine is
affordable, strengthen our health systems, and increase
cooperation between countries. Local and regional
leaders fought hard to ensure adequate funding and,
with our support, the European Parliament has managed
to overcome the dangerous and misguided reluctance of
member states to provide adequate funding for EU-level
programming and support. We will continue to press for
greater attention and support for the work of regions
and cities in providing health care."
Karsten Uno Petersen
(DK/PES), member of South Denmark Regional Council and
CoR rapporteur on
cross-border health care
, said: "The ability to receive health care in another
country has been life-saving in this crisis. So I am
glad that the EU's flagship long-term health response –
the EU4Health programme – recognises that cross-border
cooperation has great potential to increase the
efficiency of health systems. We now have to make sure
that member states and the European Parliament
translate this recognition into action, by simplifying
access to health care when they review the cross-border
health directive."
The vaccination rollout and the EU-wide standardised
proof of vaccination – labelled a 'Digital Green
Certificate' by the
European Commission
– will next be discussed by CoR members on 22 March, at
a meeting of its
Commission for Natural Resources
(NAT).
Background
Contact:
Andrew Gardner
+32 473 943 981
andrew.gardner@cor.europa.eu