Abstract
This chapter explores the past and present role of the European Union (EU) in global health. It begins by tracing the historical evolution of health policy in the EU: the EU evolved around the idea of step-wise economic integration and health was not explicitly on the agenda of the founders. On the basis of different Treaty articles, the EU gradually started to be actively involved in health questions and this involvement has increased ever since. Today, the EU is an important partner in nearly all global health topics: politically, economically and financially—and the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty is expected to strengthen this role. The second section sheds light on the most important EU health actors and their roles. The third section outlines the increasing role of the EU in global health. It explores the EU’s contribution and participation in several international health negotiations and processes as well as its role as a donor of development assistance. The fourth section describes the new global health framework which the EU set itself in May 2010 with the Council Conclusions on “The EU’s role in global health”. For the first time the EU defined its objectives and its role in and for global health, thereby linking internal and external health policies. The chapter concludes with a summary and an outlook for the EU’s potential in global health.
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Notes
- 1.
Opting out of the social policy by the UK, see: Agreement on social policy concluded between the MS of the EC with the exception of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the promotion of healthy working conditions).
- 2.
Opting-Out Protocols by:
UK and PL from the Charter, and later by the CZ:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/cg00014.en07.pdf (TL/P/en 17–18) and http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/110889.pdf (Annex I)
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Further Reading
Karl, B., Marhold, F., McKee, M., Mossialos, E., Palm, W. (2001). The influence of EU law on the social character of health care systems in the European Union. Report submitted to the Belgian Presidency of the European Union, 19 November 2001, Brussels. http://www.ose.be/health/files/summary.pdf, http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/comm/index_en.htm. Assessed 25 Sep 2012.
Van Schaik, L. (2009). Getting better: the European Union’s performance in the World Health Organization, Global Health Europe Research Paper Number 1, Geneva.
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Emmerling, T., Heydemann, J. (2013). The EU as an Actor in Global Health Diplomacy. In: Kickbusch, I., Lister, G., Told, M., Drager, N. (eds) Global Health Diplomacy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5401-4_16
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