Health and Social Care Committee raises concerns over ‘significant omissions’ in EU negotiating mandate

Chair Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP has flagged significant omissions relating to health and social care in the EU’s negotiating mandate on the future relationship with the UK. 

The absence of health as a regulatory ‘floor’ in the discussions is viewed as significant because it would be the reference point for all that follows.

There are also concerns relating to the omission of references to: substances of human origin, with potential risks on access to these substances for the NHS; participation in the EU’s health programme; agency-level cooperation in medicines licensing between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency; continued cooperation and data sharing.

Provisions in the EU negotiating mandate are considered to have an indirect but significant impact on health and social care with a call to consider seeking an exemption for the NHS from certain rules. Specifically, a non-regression clause on employment and social protection that includes working time, and provisions on competition rules, state aid and public procurement that could be “particularly challenging” for the NHS and social care. 

The issues are raised in a letter to Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee Rt Hon. Sir Bill Cash MP in response to a call for the view of the Health and Social Care Committee on the EU mandate for negotiations with the UK on the future relationship.

ENDS

Note for Editors

Website link to view full letter under ‘Correspondence from Chair to Chair of European Scrutiny Committee’