New health data rules will save lives

Late last night, the negotiators from the political groups in the European Parliament and the Member States reached an agreement on a new law that will make it easier for health data to be shared across the European Union.

"This is a great success for the EPP Group. The new rules will be truly life-changing for some people who need urgent care abroad. If you, for example, suddenly have an allergic reaction and you lose the ability to speak, this new law will make it possible for doctors to quickly find the information they need in your electronic records. I am glad that reason prevailed," said Tomislav Sokol MEP, the Parliament’s Chief negotiator on the European Health Data Space.

"The European Health Data Space is a reliable, trustworthy and efficient leap forward in healthcare and research. It means European health citizenship," said Javier Zarzalejos MEP, the EPP Group's negotiator in the Civil Liberties Committee.

"This is the most important decision for the protection of health in the European Union in many years, if not ever. The European Health Data Space will benefit us all. When we travel abroad, if we choose to, we can easily share our medical data, such as previous illnesses or allergies, and it will also be instantly translated with the help of artificial intelligence. This will save many lives as the doctors will be able to assess the situation much better, and misdiagnoses and misunderstandings can be avoided. It is also essential for medical research that medical data can flow across Europe according to uniform data protection criteria," added Peter Liese MEP, Spokesman for the EPP Group in the Environment Committee.

The new rules will also ensure better diagnosis and treatment outcomes, reduce medical errors, and avoid unnecessary tests.

"By making it possible for data to be responsibly shared across Member States, we will contribute to a deeper understanding of diseases and boost the development of new medicines and medical devices," Sokol concluded.