Towards a European Health Data Ecosystem

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 884-893
Author(s):  
Nadina IACOB ◽  
Felice SIMONELLI
Keyword(s):  
Digital Health ◽  
National Level ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Member States ◽  
Research Organisations

The digital health ecosystem is rife with opportunities to improve healthcare through data-driven services in the European Union (EU). The value of health data, in the multiple forms in which they come (from health records to lifestyle data collected by smartphones or wearables), can truly emerge when they are allowed to flow in the ecosystem within a governance framework supported by all relevant stakeholders, with trust as the common and clear thread underpinning it. The coronavirus pandemic has provided an additional impetus for change, showing the importance of coordination and adequate communication between Member States and quality data to inform decision-making. Significant challenges remain, however, in order to achieve a fully integrated European digital health ecosystem, including: (1) the potentially diverging rules set by Member States at the national level and the need for an EU framework for the secondary use of health data; (2) the need for transparency and accountability for sustaining a data-sharing framework involving public authorities, research organisations, industry and citizens; and (3) the need for interoperable data and processes. Taking stock of these challenges, this article puts forward policy recommendations to enable the provision of pan-European data-driven healthcare services and to build a transparent and trustworthy framework for citizens.

Implementation of the Principles of Good Governance on the National Level

2019 ◽  
pp. 185-199
Author(s):  
Henk Addink
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Member States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Eu ◽  
The Ideal

In ‘Good governance in the EU member states’ we investigated the interpretations and implementation of good governance and its principles in the EU member states, taking into account the different functions of government bodies. Good governance implementation is of growing importance on a national level in the fulfilment of public tasks by the public authorities, but also in relation to private institutions, when fulfilling tasks that are in the public interest. The common interest is related to a society’s underlying public values and it is directly linked to the concept of good governance. Good governance has a dual nature: the factual and the ideal. The factual dimension is represented by the realisation of good governance as an administrative fact and the ideal dimension in the element of conceptual (moral) correctness. Once conceptual correctness is acknowledged as a necessary element, the picture fundamentally changes: a non-positivist concept of good governance evolves. Good governance promotes cultural, economic, and social dynamics coherently within a society and in concrete situations. Good governance is the backbone of any modern European state. Also, some studies about good governance in states outside the European Union. Of course, there are important differences between and within continents; nevertheless, we can take a similar approach to other states in Africa, America and Australia. One of the new elements is also the attention to the issue of integrity in relation to the concept of good governance. We will present more clearly the concept of good governance in its concrete sense inside and outside Europe. We found good governance norms specified in legislation, policy documents, and decisions of courts and other controlling institutions like the ombudsmen and the courts of audit. A special point of attention is the link—in both theory and practice—between good governance and integrity.

scholarly journals The Role of Spatio-Temporal Information to Govern the COVID-19 Pandemic: A European Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Hartmut Müller ◽  
Marije Louwsma
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
National Level ◽  
Temporal Information ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Heavy Burden ◽  
Spatio Temporal

The Covid-19 pandemic put a heavy burden on member states in the European Union. To govern the pandemic, having access to reliable geo-information is key for monitoring the spatial distribution of the outbreak over time. This study aims to analyze the role of spatio-temporal information in governing the pandemic in the European Union and its member states. The European Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) system and selected national dashboards from member states were assessed to analyze which spatio-temporal information was used, how the information was visualized and whether this changed over the course of the pandemic. Initially, member states focused on their own jurisdiction by creating national dashboards to monitor the pandemic. Information between member states was not aligned. Producing reliable data and timeliness reporting was problematic, just like selecting indictors to monitor the spatial distribution and intensity of the outbreak. Over the course of the pandemic, with more knowledge about the virus and its characteristics, interventions of member states to govern the outbreak were better aligned at the European level. However, further integration and alignment of public health data, statistical data and spatio-temporal data could provide even better information for governments and actors involved in managing the outbreak, both at national and supra-national level. The Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) initiative and the NUTS system provide a framework to guide future integration and extension of existing systems.

PUBLIC HEALTHCARE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: STILL A SERVICE OF GENERAL INTEREST?

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Cygan
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
General Interest ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Patient Mobility ◽  
Member States ◽  
Universal Healthcare ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
European Court ◽  
Competition Rules

AbstractThis article examines how recent judgments of the European Court of Justice have interpreted the concept of a service of general interest in Article 86(2) EC in the delivery of healthcare services. The article explores how and why the Court has afforded greater latitude to Member States in organizational matters by not applying competition rules. By contrast, the Court has actively promoted patient mobility and has not applied the derogation in Article 86(2) EC where it would restrict the free movement of services. Does the Court's policy of protecting individual rights undermine the ability of Member States to deliver a universal healthcare service within finite resources?

The Governance System of the European Energy Union and Climate Action

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Schlacke ◽  
Michèle Knodt
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
National Level ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Member States ◽  
Energy Union ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Protection Goals

On 24 December 2018, the Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the governance system of the Energy Union and Climate Action entered into force. The Governance Regulation provides the European Union with a new regulatory regime for renewable energies and energy efficiency. It has the function of an ‘Umbrella Regulation’ which aims at the overarching control of energy and climate policies for the period 2021 to 2030. Its target is to implement the climate protection goals of the Paris Agreement. At the same time, it represents a compromise and compensation for the European Union’s lack of competences in the area of energy supply, especially concerning the determination of the energy mix of the Member States. Despite choosing a Regulation (which applies automatically) as the legislative tool, its steering and sanctioning mechanisms are in this respect rather ‘soft’: The Regulation gives the Member States a wide scope of decision-making. Which goals and instruments are established by the Governance Regulation, which scope of decision making remains at the national level, how Germany exercises its decision making powers and how it should be exercised are key questions addressed in this article.

COLLECTIVE REDRESS PROCEDURES–EUROPEAN DEBATES

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Fairgrieve ◽  
Geraint Howells
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
National Level ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Member States ◽  
Collective Redress ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
Consumer Organizations ◽  
Civil Procedures ◽  
The Eu

AbstractCollective redress mechanisms for consumer claims seek both to allow legal systems to accommodate mass litigation without being overwhelmed and to enable litigation to be viable where individual claims would not be economic. The article maps a number of recent reforms and reform proposals relating to consumer collective redress at national level and comments on EU developments. It notes that there is insufficient recognition of the differences between schemes geared at managing mass litigation as opposed to those aimed at facilitating otherwise non-viable claims. There are however signs that a European style of collective redress procedure is developing, which emphasize the role of public authorities and consumer organizations as gatekeepers to collective redress. The EU is unlikely to be able to impose collective redress procedures on national civil procedures, but the EU could prompt Member States to reflect on the need for national reforms. There may be limited scope for an EU mechanism to address the problem of individually non-viable consumer claims. This would however have to address certain fundamental issues such as the opt-out mechanism, cy-près distribution and funding if consumer organizations are to be encouraged to bring such actions. At a legal doctrinal level, it is interesting to note the influence of comparative studies on policy development within Member States as well as at the EU level.

scholarly journals La eficacia entre particulares de la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea a la luz de la jurisprudencia del Tribunal de Justicia

2017 ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
Juan Ignacio Ugartemendia Eceizabarrena
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Binding Capacity ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Member States ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Charter Of Fundamental Rights

La finalidad principal de este trabajo es analizar la eficacia vinculante de la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea en las relaciones entre particulares. Una vez apuntada brevemente la capacidad vinculante de la misma en relación al poder público (eficacia vertical), sea de la Unión o de los Estados miembros (cuando aplican Derecho de la Unión), el artículo se centra en la descripción de las diversas posiciones y argumentos en torno a la eficacia inter privatos de la Carta, esto es, a su capacidad para vincular (directa o indirectamente) a los particulares (eficacia horizontal). Puestos a ello, estas líneas se adentran, asimismo, en señalar una de las principales cuestiones a las que se enfrenta en la actualidad la jurisprudencia del Tribunal de Justicia en esta materia. Esto es, si la conexión de un derecho de la Carta con una Directiva, o su concreción en la misma, viene a fortalecer su eficacia vinculante horizontal (sabiendo que, por definición, éstas carecen de tal eficacia en las relaciones entre particulares) o invocabilidad, una cuestión que se está planteando en relación con los derechos de igualdad (particularmente, con la no discriminación) y con los derechos de solidaridad de la Carta.The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the binding effectiveness of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in relationships between individuals. After explaining briefly its binding capacity in relation to public authorities (vertical efficacy), either in the Union or in the Member States (when applying Union law), the article focuses on the description of the various positions and arguments about the inter privatos effectiveness of the Charter, that is, its ability to bind or constrain (directly or indirectly) individuals (horizontal effectiveness). In that respect, these lines also aim at one of the main issues the Court’s case-law is currently facing in this area: whether the connection of a Charter right with a Directive, or its realization in it, strengthens its horizontal binding effectiveness (knowing that, by definition, these rights lack of efficacy in the relationships between individuals), or its invocability, an issue that is being raised in relation to the Charter’s rights of equality (particularly, non-discrimination) and of solidarity.

scholarly journals A Process Oriented MCDM Approach to Construct a Circular Economy Composite Index

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Garcia-Bernabeu ◽  
Adolfo Hilario-Caballero ◽  
David Pla-Santamaria ◽  
Francisco Salas-Molina
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Composite Indicator ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Monitoring Framework

The purpose of this contribution is to develop a Circular Economy Composite indicator to benchmark EU countries performance. Europe is at the forefront of the global transition towards a sustainable and circular economy. To this end, the European Commission has launched in 2015 a Circular Economy Action Plan including a monitoring framework to measure progress and to assess the effectiveness of initiatives towards the circular economy in the European Union (EU) and Member States. Still, this monitoring framework lacks a composite indicator at the national level to aggregate the circular economy dimensions into a single summary indicator. Although there is a wide range of sustainability composite indicators, no aggregate circular economy index exits to this date. We use a multi-criteria approach to construct a circular economy composite index based on TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solutions) methodology. In addition, we introduce a novel aggregation methodology for building a composite indicator where different levels of compensability for the distances to the ideal and anti-ideal (or negative-ideal) values of each indicator are considered. In order to illustrate the advantages of this proposal, we have applied it to evaluate the Circular Economy performance of EU Member States for the year 2016. This proposal can be a valuable tool for identifying areas in which the countries need to concentrate their efforts to boost their circular economy performance.

scholarly journals Regional Convergence in the European Union, new Member States and Croatia

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davor Mikulić ◽  
Željko Lovrinčević ◽  
Andrea Galić Nagyszombaty
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Level ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Regional Convergence ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Potential Growth ◽  
Member States ◽  
New Member States ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Over the past two decades, the issue of regional convergence in the European Union has been the subject of a wide range of empirical research. This paper aims to provide more information on the differences in regional growth patterns of new member states (NMS), as well as Croatia, in addition to the factors influencing regional disparities within each country. This research provides an analysis of regional convergence in the period 2001-2008 at the NUTS II and NUTS III level. The most widely used model for testing convergence hypotheses is beta-convergence analysis. Other factors commonly included in the econometric modelling of convergence are demographic variables, labour market conditions, industrial structure, institutional factors and overall government policy. The main hypothesis is that the process of regional convergence in NMS and Croatia is not strong enough to dominate over other factors, influencing regional potential growth (mainly industry structure and quality of human capital). Absolute β-convergence can be found at the national level for EU countries. Convergence also can be found for NMS regions, but the pace of convergence on the regional level is lower in comparison to the national level and the estimated β-convergence parameter is less significant.

‘Biodiversity damage’ liability in the Environmental Liability Directive – its definition and delimitation from more stringent EU, international and national norms

elni Review ◽  
2008 ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
Volker Mauerhofer
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Level ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Environmental Liability ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
Early Beginning ◽  
National Norms

The Environmental Liability Directive (‘ELD’) of the European Union entered into force on 30th April 2004 and had to be implemented by 30th April 2007. It had been already from the early beginning up to today subject to multiple considerations by many scholars and is implemented quite differently in the different EU Member States. The ELD contains provisions concerning the liability for ‘environmental damage’, which is further defined inter alia as a specific damage of certain species and habitats (‘biodiversity damage’). Besides the ELD there are already other legal provisions on the European as well as on the international and national level covering several aspects of these liability issues more stringently. Hence the question arises as to how the new provisions of the ELD delimit from these similar but other EU, international and national norms.

Competitiveness and Economic Growth in the European Union

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 2408
Author(s):  
Natália ZAGORŠEKOVÁ ◽  
Michaela ČIEFOVÁ ◽  
Andrea ČAMBALÍKOVÁ
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
European Union ◽  
Union Member ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Global Competitiveness Index ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Union Member States

The paper focuses on competitiveness at the national level and on the impact of competitiveness on economic growth. We look at the relationship between competitiveness and economic growth based on the data from the European Union member states. The competitiveness of the economies is measured by the Global Competitiveness Index, which is published by the World Economic Forum. The European Union member states show significant differences in competitiveness. In the sample examined, the positive relationship between the level of competitiveness and economic growth was not confirmed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document