Some notions about the European dimension

Abstract

The MoHProf consortium spans 25 countries across four continents. This enables a wide perspective on mobility of health workers. With the EU context in mind, a relevant question therefore is: what conclusions can be drawn based on the MoHProf reports about the context of the EU in relation to health worker mobility? First of all this question relates to flows and stocks of health workers. Do the data give any information about flows to and from the EU, and what can we say about flows within the EU, before and after the 2004 and subsequent 2007 expansion? A second perspective relates to relevant regulations that aim to develop level playing fields within the EU. While a full assessment of the European context requires specific analyses, we will focus on the two most relevant. The first one is the directive that aims to smooth internal mobility of health workers, in the context of the internal market. The second one is about harmonizing working conditions across the EU in terms of working time. First, however, some trends relating to stocks and flows are discussed in a European perspective.