EU actions for cross-border healthcare. Significant ambitions but improved management required. Special report No 07, 2019

The 2011 Cross-border Healthcare Directive seeks to ensure EU patients’ rights to access safe and high-quality healthcare, including across national borders within the EU. These rights are also intended to facilitate closer cooperation between Member States on eHealth and the treatment of rare diseases. We concluded that although EU actions in cross-border healthcare enhance Member States’ collaboration, the benefits for patients were limited. We found that despite the progress made on providing EU citizens with information on cross-border healthcare, in some areas this information remains difficult to access. We identified weaknesses in the Commission’s strategic planning and project management. We make recommendations focusing on the Commission’s support for national contact points, the deployment of cross-border exchanges of health data, and EU’s actions in the field of rare diseases.