Please find below a letter sent by the President of ENC to the Permanent Representations of the previous, current, and future rotating Presidencies of the Council, to the European Union:
Dear Permanent Representation to the EU,
I am writing to you in my capacity as President of the European Nursing Council (ENC), the single organization bringing together nursing regulatory bodies at the European level.
Our membership greatly welcomes the decision of the Council of the European Union of the 21/06/2024 to strengthen the European Health Union and to call upon the European Commission to prioritize health in its upcoming five-year term. Indeed, the European Union’s health systems face significant challenges, with staff shortage being one of the most urgently needing to be addressed.
ENC agrees of course that the development of digital tools, investment, knowledge sharing, constitute efficient means for this. At the same time, we strongly feel that is of great importance to remotivate young persons to study disciplines that lead to the exercise of health-care professions, and notably nursing. In that context, the accessibility of such studies and a serious effort to improve working conditions are indispensable.
We very much welcome your proposal towards a Critical Medicines Act. It is for us in fact urgent that the EU takes every measure that could allow it to efficiently respond to future health emergencies, such as pandemics or terrorist acts. Our membership believes that a strengthening of the European Union’s competencies in matters of health should be pursued in a future revision of the Treaties.
Being one of the key professions of healthcare, nurses strongly support any initiative aiming at promoting the prevention of diseases, the adoption of healthier lifestyles, and the collaboration of our governments in matters of health.
Our Council looks forward to actively working with the European institutions towards the achievements of these goals.
Thanking you for your interest in our thoughts.
Your Sincerely,
Mircea Timofte, President of ENC