Programme Observatory Venice Summer School 2010
The six-day course will be organized into three modules
MODULE 1: The institutional and regulatory framework
After an introduction into health system’s objectives, functions and building blocks, this first module will develop a greater understanding of the institutional and regulatory framework in which health-related EU policies are being developed and the complexities and diversity it faces in relation to health systems. Starting from the European Treaty, the legal base for EU action in the field of health and health care will be explored. It will also map out the different institutions involved and their respective roles in developing policies targeting health or affecting health systems.
Issues that will be addressed in this module include:
- the recognition of common health systems’ values and principles and their translation into EU policies and fundamental EU citizenship’s rights;
- the legal and economic appraisal of the concepts of public health and health care in the EU context;
- EU governance and the scope for ‘hard law’ and ‘soft law’ regulation in the field of health and health care;
- the strategic and regulatory framework for EU health policy;
- the constitutional asymmetries in regulatory powers of the EU and the “politics of policy”;
- an introduction into the evolving roles of the different EU institutions and agencies (to be further developed in the next modules).
MODULE 2: Economic integration and health systems’ governance
In this module we will further explore the implications of economically oriented EU policy and regulation for health systems, health services and goods as well as for all actors involved. The creation of an internal market in health care and its related rules for ensuring free and fair competition will be the main focus.
Lectures and discussions in this module will cover following aspects:
- legal basis, practice and impact of free movement principles applied to health professionals, medical goods, patients, health care and insurance services;
- EU-wide mobility and cross-border collaboration in health care, including supportive tools for cross-border exchange;
- Basis and impact of EU competition rules as well as regulation on state aids and public procurement;
MODULE 3: Supportive EU policies and instruments for health systems governance
This last module will focus on existing and possible routes for maximizing the opportunities that the EU creates for health systems and minimizing the potential threats through action at the different levels (EU, national and regional levels). We will analyse the policies and instruments that the EU has developed over time to support Member States in addressing public health threats, increasing social cohesion, ensuring quality of health care, improving efficiency and effectiveness as well as constructing evidence-based policies in these fields. One of the objectives is to identify critical issues and gaps and to explore scope and ways for improvement.
The following are some of the aspects that will be discussed in this part:
- health information, benchmarking and the Open Method of Coordination;
- the use of concepts such as ‘social services of general interest’ as ways to strike a balance between economic and health systems’ governance.
- health (system) impact assessments and intersectoral approaches at EU level;
- financial support instruments such as EU structural funds and research programmes;
- the role of networks, stakeholder and lobby groups.
DETAILLED PROGRAMME