European Integration in Health

Dear Colleagues,

Like with previous health crises in Europe, such as HIV/AIDS, BSE, or SARS, the COVID-19 pandemic elicited discussions about a further deepening of European integration in the area of health, the European Health Union being the lead initiative in this regard. Prior to the pandemic, the current EU competences in the area of health were discussed during the commissions’ scenario discussion for the Future of Europe.

Beyond the immediate pressures of the crisis, health, healthcare, and health policy in Europe like other sectors in society are faced with change pressures from digitalisation, demographic change, migration, and global geopolitical developments. All of these are likely to affect the EU’s health mandate in the way that current existing legislation may need to be updated to address changes from these trends, that new approaches to EU health legislation may be needed, or may even ask to consider new areas to be regulated by the EU.

With this in mind, this Special Issue is soliciting manuscripts analysing on how existing EU health competences, such as the Patient Right Directive, the Workforce Directive, the Joint Procurement Initiative, the scope of EU health agencies or many other areas could be made fit for future. These analyses are rather focused and taking a pragmatic and practical politics approach. In addition, original papers are welcomed that seek to explore how larger trend developments affecting health in Europe in the mid- to long-term and could or should be addressed by integration in health. Thematically, this could include exploring how the changing role of emerging economies may require changed approaches to health industry and research. Or how expected input shortages for health, health care products or services, such as healthcare personnel, finances or more broadly data, water, or appropriate housing should be addressed by a European approach. Conceptual papers using innovative tools, such as horizon scanning, scenario planning and others, or perspectives to approach arguments pro and contra EU integration in health more broadly are of relevance to this Special Issue as well. Finally, papers that consider the division of roles and the relationship between member states, the EU and international organisations and the respective domestic, European, and global initiatives are welcomed.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an understanding how the responsibilities in the field of health are evolving between the EU and member states (and other relevant international organisation) in light of the EU health mandate. Thereby, this Special Issue should provide food-for-thought for decision-makers that are designing the health policy framework in the EU for the first half of the century. Additionally, the Special Issue should provide a forum for academic exchange and reflection for researcher working on question of EU integration in health.

Prof. Dr. Helmut Brand
Dr. Timo Clemens
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• public health
• health service research
• health governance
• health policy
• health economic