In 19 countries of the European Union (EU), responsibility for public health is largely decentralised, with local and regional authorities (LRAs) having significant competences in the national health system. Through two EPP-led opinions, the EPP-CoR Group calls for more cooperation across all levels on health issues to respond to health emergencies more effectively, including in cross-border regions.
Regulation for tackling cross-border health threats and legislative proposal for changing the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC)
Olgierd Geblewicz, EPP-CoR President and President of West Pomerania Region who served as rapporteur on the opinion called for the introduction of effective instruments for coordination between border regions, including those on the EU's external borders, and proposed that interregional, cross-border contact groups be set up. Furthermore, the rapporteur called for further engagement of LRAs in addressing public health emergencies. "Representatives of the CoR, as the institution representing LRAs from all the countries of the EU, should be involved as observers in the work of teams, committees and task forces set up at EU level to deal with public health emergencies, particularly the Advisory Committee on Public Health Emergencies."
Geblewicz's opinion calls for local and regional authorities to be fully involved in the development of national preparedness and response plans, their evaluation and the preparation of responses. In order to address challenges faced by cross-border regions, the rapporteur recommends that, as part of its new mandate, the ECDC collect data at subnational level and improve cooperation between border regions in situations involving cross-border health threats.
Europe's pharmaceutical strategy and legislative proposal for changing the mandate of the European Medical Agency (EMA)
Birgitta Sacrédeus, Member of Dalarna Regional Council and rapporteur of the opinion said "We strongly support that the Commission has launched a patient-centered pharmaceutical strategy. All patients throughout Europe should have access to safe, effective and affordable medicines, under regular conditions as well as during a health crisis. Since LRAs often play key roles in the funding, evaluation and provision of medicines and in crisis management and preparedness, , we insist that they need to be involved in the forms of cooperation proposed in the pharmaceutical strategy.”
Sacrédeus' opinion also outlines that in order for the EMA to have access to relevant, quality-assured data and information on the need for and shortages of medicinal products and medical devices, it must be possible to obtain such information from the local and regional level. The rapporteur reiterates also the call she made in an opinion she prepared for the CoR on an EU Health Emergency Mechanism to promote the development and production of essential medicines on European soil and to create incentives for manufacturers, in order to reduce dependency on third countries.