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- Ελληνικά
I welcome today's event, which is a very important initiative in a period of extensive change and technological progress. The aim of its work is to contribute to the digital transformation in Europe, with a focus on eHealth, to serve the European citizen nationally and across borders, so that:
- support the implementation of the European Health Data Space
- foster synergies and collaborations between eHealth initiatives and projects
- promote debate on regulatory and legal issues
- contribute to the realisation of the vision for a European Health Union
In this context, the Proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space, which is being promoted for discussion and adoption by the European Parliament, is one of the main topics of the conference.
Cyprus during the discussion of this Regulation was actively involved on the basis of its national legislation and the human-centred philosophy it has adopted for the promotion and implementation of eHealth. These positions are shared by the Commission and are reflected in the initial proposal of the Health Data Space Regulation for:
- A common European health data space that will promote better exchange and access to different types of health data (electronic health records, genomic data, data from patient registries - Electronic Health Records, etc.)
- A common European data space not only to support healthcare delivery, the so-called primary use of data, but also for the purpose of Member States will be supported by a new EU Health Programme co-funded "Joint Action on the European Health Data Space" to facilitate the exchange of health data for public health, therapeutics, research and innovation in Europe. The issue was extensively discussed by the European eHealth Network and its recommendation to the Commission was positive and supportive for the adoption of the Regulation.
At the same time, the European Commission's Joint Actions to support the proposed Regulation have been announced and have already started to be funded by the European Commission through the EU4Health programme.
Based on the above, the National eHealth Authority of Cyprus has been proposed by the European eHealth Network eHealth Network and has undertaken the coordination of a Joint Action which is funded for the development of the specifications and recommendations in relation to the European Health Data Space and primary use. The project was launched on 29 November 2023 in Brussels and will run for 30 months with a total budget of €5.9 million.
The project involves the eHealth Competent Authorities of all 27 Member States and Norway. The common objective is the development of all standards and the definition of specifications concerning the Electronic Health Record of the Citizen, content, security, circulation, management and interoperability in order to enable national and cross-border healthcare between Member States.
The coordination of the Joint Action by our country is a recognition of the work done in Cyprus on a technical level, and especially in the legislative framework expressed by the e-Health Law of 2019.
The coordination of the Joint Action by our country is a recognition of the work done in Cyprus on a technical level, and especially in the legislative framework expressed by the e-Health Law of 2019. This legislation is a unique example because it establishes all issues of management and use of health data with a focus on the citizen, and it is this philosophy that Europe is trying to establish for all Member States with the introduction of the European Health Data Space Regulation.
Cyprus looks forward and invests in the implementation of the new Health Data Space Regulation and in the universal implementation of eHealth as measures to strengthen the General Health Plan (GHS).
In conclusion, I would like to thank the organisers for this conference and wish every success in its work, with the aim of strengthening a European Health Union.
* The address was read by the President of the National e-Health Authority, Mr. Christos N. Schizas
(DK)
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