Health in the applicant states needs attention
Public health and consumer protection in the applicant states deserve a higher priority in the enlargement process, experts told the European Parliament at public hearing on 11 July. Speaking to the Committee on the environment, public health and consumer protection, the experts warned that overlooking health could have serious implications for the long term realisation of community goals. 'Candidate countries should be more involved in all health activities at EU level,' they said. Experts warned of the risk of an 'exodus of poorly paid doctors and nurses taking up jobs in Member States with better salaries, working conditions and career prospects, with serious implications for healthcare'. Representatives from the health sector in the applicant countries also voiced their concerns. Adopting legislation on health and safety would require extra resources and training, said Mrs Mucha, President of the Hungarian nurses association. The EU directive on working hours might have a significant impact on nurses, for whom long hours are routine. In Poland, many nurses work for up to 36 hours without a break, with obvious consequences for their own health and that of patients, she added. The development of human resources is imperative for all health care reform processes, agreed those present at the meeting. There was also concern over the disorganisation of systems in most of the central and eastern European countries. Dr Mossialos of the London School of Economic described the situation as 'a mess', with a culture of informal payments to doctors. This will be hard to change, he added, and so far there has been little evidence that changing the sources of financing for the health sector has any direct impact on either health or the quality of services. European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr David Byrne, explained the Commission's perspective on the issue, sketching the Community's initiatives in the field of public health and consumer protection. In particular, he noted a low level of compliance with EU rules on veterinary and phytosanitary aspects of the enlargement process. There is also a need to upgrade feed and food processing establishments to meet EU standards and norms he added, indicating that a substantial effort would be required on the part of the candidate countries if they are to meet their obligations. Hungary and Cyprus are the most advanced of the applicant countries in terms of consumer protection, he revealed, followed by Slovenia and Estonia. Poland has also made progress in this area after lagging behind for a while.