During the last NAT Commission meeting this year, held on 12 November 2019, CoR Members discussed two working documents concerning cross-border healthcare and the EU action to protect and restore the World's Forests.
Cllr Tony Buchanan contributed to the debate on cross-border healthcare by highlighting the importance of the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality in cross-border healthcare issues. He shared his Scottish experience highlighting the importance of the regulation on freedom of movement and LRAs unique place to understand the needs on the ground.
In regard to the same opinion, Mr. Marquis highlighted the experience on the Italian-French border and cooperation between the hospitals of Susa and Briançon, supported by the Interreg program. This is a rather new case at which local and regional authorities, including the Valle d'Aosta region, are looking with interest. For Italy, it opens up prospects for cooperation and the possible creation of a currently scarce, cross-border public service in the Alps as described by the ESPON report. He added that he believes regional and local authorities have a fundamental role in facilitation, communication, and organization. He also believes that the rapporteur will have to consider the diversity in the organization of health systems in different member states.
During the meeting, Leitrim County Cllr Enda Stenson was nominated the rapporteur on EU Strategy for Rural Revival. The opinion will look at diversification and modernization in rural regions to maintain and promote economic activities, employment opportunities and public services and prevent the risk of depopulation, territorial divide and brain drain. This will particularly involve stepping up EU-level investment to address the digital divide in rural areas, primarily by improving broadband access. In addition, the opinion will highlight the specific contributions rural regions can play towards the environment, climate, and renewable energy policies by encouraging local and regional authorities to embrace new resource-efficient and circular economy models.
