Free movement of goods

The creation of an open market implies the free movement of goods. To prevent Member States from taking discriminatory measures based on product origin, the Community decided to harmonise national rules on merchandise that was likely to circulate.

Goods purchased by hospitals are highly varied, ranging from food, medicines, equipment, miscellaneous supplies, etc. All of them have more or less been targeted by legislation - general or specific - in the name of free movement. Two types of goods are particularly relevant to the health sector: medical devices and medicinal products.

Medical devices

Different national regulations on conditions for manufacture and distribution may be obstacles to the creation of a single market. Community authorities therefore worked to draw up common regulations for medical devices. Three directives cover this: one for medical devices (such as hip prostheses), another for active implantable medical devices (such as implantable pacemakers) and one for in vitro diagnostic devices. Two of the directives have been amended recently.

Medicinal products

For medicinal products, directives have been adopted since 1985 in order to create a single market for medicinal products. In addition to implementing free movement principles, it also strove to strengthen the European pharmaceutical industry while improving citizens’ quality of life. Among other things, the regulations set the criteria that medicinal products must meet before they can be placed on the market, as well as criteria for drug monitoring, advertising, and data protection times.

Since January 1995, the new European system has offered two ways for medicinal products to gain marketing authorisation: a centralised procedure handled by the London-based European Medicines Agency, and a mutual recognition procedure that applies to the majority of conventional medicines. Strictly national authorisations remain possible.

Pricing and reimbursements for medicine are, in principle, among the competencies of the Member States. Nonetheless, European legislation stipulates that decisions in these areas should be transparent, based on objective criteria, and taken within reasonable timeframes.

Activities

Hospitals in the 27
EU Member States

Quality of care

Human resources

Public health

Hospital, health care
and internal market
Free movement of goods
Free movement of persons
Free movement of services

e-Health

Cross-border
co-operation

Green hospitals

Networking