A European Health Data Space for best medical care across Europe

The Renew Europe group welcomes today's plenary green light on the establishment of a European Health Data Space. The creation of the European Health Data Space is a leap forward to improve the healthcare of every patient. The breakthrough advantage of establishing this data platform is that the primary use of digitized medical data will allow patients and healthcare professionals to have access to health data, anywhere in Europe. This way, citizens will benefit from the best medical care in their own country, and in a cross – border context of the most efficient healthcare throughout the European Union.

The secondary use and availability of medical data across the EU is also an additional asset for scientific medical research and progress, as access to existing data accelerates the pace of cutting-edge scientific research.

Thanks to the liberal group in the EP, the report includes comprehensive safeguards to enable citizens to keep control over their electronic health data at all times, as for us, it is obvious that patient’s well-being and privacy always come first.

MEP Lucia Duris Nicholsonova (Slovakia), Renew shadow rapporteur in LIBE committee comments:

“The European Health Data Space, once implemented, stands to benefit European citizens in two ways: firstly, by enhancing the quality of healthcare through the digital availability of health data to professionals within their Member State and across borders; secondly, by unlocking the potential of health data for scientific research, fostering crucial advancements in the health domain. Consequently, this will bolster the quality of primary care for patients, providing them with more and improved medical solutions or devices. Our aim in the upcoming negotiations with the Council and the Commission is to achieve these outcomes while steadfastly adhering to stringent privacy and data protection regulations. With today's approval of Parliament's robust negotiation mandate, it's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work!”

MEP Susana Solis Pérez (Ciudadanos, Spain), Renew shadow rapporteur in ENVI committee said :

“The European Health Data Space is going to be a differentiating element with the rest of the world, for the sake of facilitating our healthcare but also enhancing research at a European level. Our priority has been to ensure the rights and privacy of patients' data. The citizen, who is the owner of its health data will always have control over who can access them and for what purposes they will be shared. We are building an exciting new tool, safe and respectful of privacy, that will create a European space that enables patients to access their health data all across Europe. At the same time, we will reach a critical mass of anonymised health data that will be a game-changer for European research and innovation in the interest of public health.”