"The role of citizens' organisations in the empowerment of patients with chronic diseases".
8th European Patients’ Rights Day
May 12-13 2014
Brussels
Conference Materials
ACN is looking for Best Practices! The most significant will be published and showed during the next European Patients’ Rights Day (12-13 May Brussels)
Active Citizenship Network (ACN) has decided to gather and share during the 8th celebration of the European Patients' Rights Day 2014 (dedicated to: "The role of citizens' organisations in the empowerment of patients with chronic diseases") the following best practices (BP) of different citizens and patients' organisations, coming from a wide range of EU countries on:
May 12-13 2014
VM3 (2nd floor) Van Maerlant Bulding, 2, rue Van Maerlant, 1040
Brussels
Active Citizenship Network (ACN) has decided to dedicate the 8th celebration of the European Patients’ Rights Day 2014 (launched by ACN in 2003) to:
“The role of citizens' organisations in the empowerment of patients with chronic diseases”.
The EU project coordinates citizen debate and action in 11 EU member states, one candidate and one potential candidate countries on a set of issues focused on increased and better informed citizen participation in the democratic life of the EU and aims at strengthening the citizen base of deeper European integration. The project is funded by the European Union through the Europe for Citizens Programme and is implemented by a group of civic organizations.
JoiEU comprises of a series of transnational debates mobilizing citizen participation and the use of innovative communications and advocacy strategies and tools culminating in joint policy initiatives for greater citizen participation in the decision-making process in the EU.
A brief summary of the information produced by associations clearly shows that the behaviour of the various Member States, compared with the involvement of citizens and patients' organizations can be classified into three types:
- Formalized: public consultations, dissemination of the transposition measures to acquire the opinions and the views of associations etc. as in the case of Austria, Estonia, France and Norway.
- Informal: relationships between the ministry and civic associations/organizations which are based on spontaneous interviews and meetings and most of the time required by the same associations but which do not become a binding force nor a proper intervention. Involvement therefore depends on the willingness of individual associations which decide to "put pressure" to enter the transposition process in the Member States. See the example of Italy.
- Absent or almost absent: are those situations in which the associations, after having forwarded specific requests, have discovered that their institutional partner (Ministers or similar) has dropped the submissions, downplayed the importance of the issue, has not responded or has clearly indicated that the issue is not a priority of the Ministry.
Manifesto for the implementation of the Right of European Patients to make an informed choice
Rationale
1. The Directive 2011/24/EU on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare is an opportunity to enhance the rights of all European citizens with respect to healthcare services, since national citizens will also benefit from a number of provisions initially planned to protect the rights of cross-border patients.
As many of the provisions of the Directive are optional or leave room for interpretation by the Member States, much depends on the way the Directive is implemented. In order to make sure that the Directive is implemented so as to be an added value for patients, it is essential that patients’ organisations at national level be actively involved!
The 7th European Patients' Rights Day (EPRD), held in Brussels in May 2013, 16th, has been dedicated to the final principle of the European Charter of Patients' Rights, i.e. the "Right to participate in policy making in the area of health".
Active Citizenship Network (ACN) has decided to emphasize it in occasion of the 7th EPRD for two reasons:
- 2013 is the European Year of Citizens, which especially aims at raising citizens' awareness of their rights and at stimulating their active participation in the European policy-making;
- 25 October 2013 is the deadline for the national transposition of the directive 2011/24/EU on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare, which officially recognizes most of the rights established in the European Charter and can therefore not be successfully implemented without the involvement of patients' organisations.
Good practices concerning mobility from a civic point of view
The reduction of mobility is not an option, but at the same time the transport sector is not sustainable, as reported by the European Commission itself. In this scenario, Active Citizenship Network, with the European project "Mobility, a paradigm of European citizenship" raises a new mobility pattern matching to more effective protection of the rights of travelers, a real involvement of all stakeholders, without which you can not hit the ambitious objectives set at European level. To read more, click here