On 13 May 2015 the European Commission published the fifth edition of its country specific recommendations (CSRs), the centrepiece of the European Semester framework. The CSRs are a set of recommendations made to each member state (with the exception of those which are subject to an economic adjustment programme – namely Cyprus and Greece) and to the euro area as a whole. The recommendations lay out the measures which national governments should take in order to reach the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy and to maintain the broader stability and growth of the EU.
In contrast to the recommendations issued in previous cycles and to the Country Reports, which inform the CSRs and were published in February, the 2015 CSRs have relatively little to say about health. Too vague to facilitate concrete implementation they fall short in promoting investment in health, in recognising the economic case for prevention and promotion, and in mainstreaming health into the top levels of EU governance. In seeking to reduce the scope of the recommendations, the Commission has undone the progress made to date in improving the relevance, applicability and value of the health-related CSRs.
EPHA calls upon the Commission, the legislature and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the 2016 Semester cycle works for the promotion of health as a vital component of sustainable societies. This analysis takes a closer look at the health in the 2015 CSRs, its implications in the broader context and some points of concern, before offering a series of policy recommendations to inform Council and European Parliament discussion, member state implementation and Commission preparation of the 2016 Semester cycle.
Download the full analysis below.
