International organisations: OECD - Page updated

International organisations: OECD - Page updated

The Commission collaborates closely with the OECD. Key joint initiatives in the area of health can be found on this page.

Health at a glance: Europe

This series of reports is the result of collaboration between the OECD and the European Commission, with the help of national data correspondents from over 30 countries. First publication was released in 2010 and second in 2012.

Healthcare quality indicators

The OECD's healthcare quality indicators (HCQI) project tracks healthcare quality and differences across countries by developing indicators based on comparable data.

Ultimately, HCQI will represent the largest effort – in terms of the number of quality indicators and countries – ever undertaken to assess international healthcare quality.

Economics of prevention

The expected growth in the burden of chronic diseases is an increasing concern, particularly in relation to changing lifestyles.

The OECD project on the economics of prevention sought to determine whether efforts should be made to prevent non-communicable diseases rather than accept the consequences of treating and managing them.

• Final report

Health Workforce

In recent years, concerns about shortages of health workers have emerged in OECD and EU countries.

The international migration of health workforce was examined to better inform the national and international dialogue.

• Final report

The role of education, international migration and health workforce management policies were identified as substantial for achieving sustainable health workforce.

• Final report

Particular attention was paid on the long term care workforce and countries' strategies to adapt supply to a growing demand.

• Final report

The EU cooperates with international organisations to develop, implement, and promote its public health agenda. Specific cooperation arrangements exist with:

• The World Health Organisation (WHO)
• The Council of Europe
• The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

World Health Organisation (WHO) – health cooperation

Cooperation between the European Commission and WHO is based on anexchange of letters from 2001, which sets out general principles, objectives and procedures, including regular Senior Official Meetings.

In 2020, the Commission and the WHO Regional Office for Europe renewed their commitment to working together towards achieving the highest level of health and health protection, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in particular Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being. They committed to expanding and deepening cooperation on health security, health systems, non-communicable diseases with a focus on cancer, sustainable food systems and health, health cooperation with non-EU countries.

Cooperation takes place at 3 geographic levels:

• With the WHO Headquarters in Geneva on issues of global concern
• With the WHO Regional Office for Europe (in Copenhagen) on European issues
• In countries around the world (country-level cooperation).

In the area of communicable diseases the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) also works together closely with WHO on a range of issues. There are 3 levels of meetings: political, senior management and technical.

The Commission participates as an observer in annual meetings of the WHO Executive Board and the World Health Assembly in Geneva, as well as in the annual meetings of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe. In collaboration with the European External Action Service (EEAS), it works with EU countries to prepare joint statements, and to negotiate texts with other countries. In addition, it participates in the regular consultations that WHO organises, working to ensure consistency between the policies and action of both parties.

Since 2005, the Commission has been working together with WHO on a number of policy projects, with funding from the EU public health programme.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the International Health Regulations (IHR) are important international health laws developed under the auspices of the WHO. The European Commission was closely involved in negotiations on the Convention and Health Regulations, and supports their implementation.

Partners in the World Health Security Initiative, the European Commission and the World Health Organisation are developing a road map for joint work on:

• Emergency preparedness
• Communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Immunisation