Health protection in Europe after 1992

Although the European Community (EC) Treaty does not form a legal basis for a common policy in the field of health, various activities in pursuance of the objectives of the treaty directly or indirectly touch upon the health care field and the health protection of consumers and patients. The free movement of persons and services (for example (para) medical professionals) as well as goods (for example pharmaceuticals and medical devices) necessitates that minimum quality standards and requirements must be laid down at EC level. Measures with regard to quality assurance and control of persons and goods relate to two phases, that is rules which are applicable either before or after admittance to the health care market. In this article the consequences of the free movement of persons, services and goods on the health protection of consumers and patients is discussed. The main problems and gaps in the measures the EC has taken till now are reviewed and the relationship between EC rules and national rules and what can be expected from the EC after 1992 are also dealt with.