Equal access to health care
Recommendation 2020
(2013)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 26 June 2013 (24th Sitting) (see Doc. 13225, report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and
Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Mr Lorrain; and Doc. 13249, opinion of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and
Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr Cederbratt). Text adopted by the Assembly on
26 June 2013 (24th Sitting).
2. The Assembly welcomes the recent work of the Committee of
Ministers in the health field, resulting in particular in the adoption
of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)6 on good governance in health systems, Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)13
on mobility, migration and access to health care, the 2011 Committee
of Ministers’ Guidelines on child-friendly health care and Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)8
on the implementation of good governance principles in health systems.
3. The Assembly regrets, however, that since 2012 the Council
of Europe has been without an intergovernmental committee specifically
responsible for facilitating policy development and exchange of
good practices in the health field.
4. Having regard to the Council of Europe’s principles and values,
it is of paramount importance to continue to protect the right to
health enshrined in Article 11 of the European Social Charter (revised)
(ETS No. 163) and to enhance the role of the European Committee
of Social Rights so that it can perform this task as effectively as
possible.
5. In the light of the foregoing, the Assembly recommends that
the Committee of Ministers:
5.1 urge
those member States which have not yet done so to sign and ratify
the European Social Charter (revised) and the protocols thereto;
5.2 take measures to ensure rapid progress towards implementation
of the Charter in line with the conclusions and decisions of the
European Committee of Social Rights;
5.3 encourage other sectors of the Council of Europe to include
health-related issues in their work, based on a cross-sectoral approach.
