On 23 and 24 April, the Belgian presidency of the EU hosted an informal meeting of health ministers, focusing on key issues affecting health and healthcare systems across the EU (1).
Health professionals working in hospitals, clinics and liberal professions are about 10 millions in Europe. 340.000 are dental practitioners. According to the national context, they face different problems relating to the working conditions, violence, quality of training, professional development.
In Zagreb Dr Pezo, chair of FEDCAR, says : « Member States have different strategies for planning, recruiting and training healthcare professionals needed in their healthcare systems. In supporting and complementing these efforts, the EU can also play an important role through funding instruments and regulatory frameworks. This is an element of importance put to our FEDCAR manifesto for the coming EU elections».
Regulators of dental professions gathered in FEDCAR are therefore looking forward to the formal Council of Health Ministers of 21 June whereby a « comprehensive EU health workforce strategy » could address these issues, as debated on 23-24 April, and be conveyed to the European Commission for the next EU mandate of 2024-2029.