EU on the way toward Health Union

• Main Author: Olga Potemkina
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Institute of Europe Russian Academy of Sciences 2020-06-01
• Series: Научно-аналитический вестник Института Европы РАН
• Subjects: pandemic covid-19; health; vaccine; restrictions of freedom of movement; european centre for disease prevention and control (ecdc); european medicines agency (ema); colour coding
• Online Access: http://vestnikieran.instituteofeurope.ru/images/Potemkina62020.pdf

The article deals with numerous initiatives of the EU Commission, both legislative and political, aimed at strengthening the MS coordination in the field of health. Based on the Commission’s recommendations on restrictions of freedom of movement, the author analyzes the «colour coding» of the EU regions to discover travelers arriving from «risk zones», and identifies con- flicting approaches of member States and other critics to this practice. The author shows interest in Commission’s activities for joint procurement of coronavirus vaccines and other medicines and medical instruments, which it carries out using the power received from the Member States. However, the author notes that only a few MS take advantage of these contracts, preferring their national procurement channels. The author considers Commission’s desire to take the next steps in the direction of the Health Union a significant event in the EU health policy. In conclusion, the author foresees upcoming discussions about who will make decisions in the field of health policy in the EU.