Zwischen Binnenmarkt- und Sozialstaatslogik: Herausforderungen grenzüberschreitender Gesundheitskooperation in der Europäischen Union

Freise, Matthias; Treib, Oliver

Abstract

Cross-border health policy is one of the European Union's (EU) least communitarised policy areas. The European treaties largely preclude legal harmonisation in this policy area. The organisation and financing of national health care systems remain the responsibility of the member states. Nevertheless, the EU has gained increasing influence in recent years, leveraging internal market rules and Art. 168(2) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which obliges it to promote cooperation between member states in the field of health policy, particularly in border regions. Accordingly, the EU has been launching an increasing number of support and incentive programmes in this area. This article first places cross-border healthcare collaboration policies within the logics of European policy-making, then traces the genesis of these policies, illustrates a series of current flagship projects, and finally analyses the challenges that cross-border health collaboration continues to face.