The expanding scope of European law in areas that impinge on health care, coupled with a greater awareness by individuals and organisations within the European Union of the rights that this confers on them, has created new tensions. It throws into relief the challenge of ensuring that progress in developing an internal market enhances rather than undermines consumer safety and social protection. Resolving this challenge has become more important as the social dimension of what was first conceived as primarily an economic union has become more prominent.
In December 2001 the Belgian presidency of the European Union convened a conference in Ghent on the implications of European law for the social nature of health care. Two complementary books emerged from this process. This volume provides an in-depth analysis of some of the most important issues facing health policy makers in Europe. Leading commentators present a range of perspectives from the legal profession on the current situation and prospects for the future, providing a detailed map of the often-labyrinthine body of European law and how it impacts on health care.

Autorentext

The Editors: Martin McKee is Research Director of the *European Observatory on Health Care Systems and Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Elias Mossialos is Research Director of the European Observatory on Health Care Systems and Brian Abel-Smith Reader in Health Policy, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Rita Baeten is Researcher at the Observatoire Social Européen*. She worked for several years as a policy advisor on health care issues at the Cabinet of Belgian ministers of Public Health and Social Affairs.

Inhalt
Contents: Martin McKee/Elias Mossialos/Rita Baeten: The Implications of European Law for Health Care Tamara K. Hervey: The Legal Basis of European Community Public Health Policy Jason Nickless: The Internal Market and the Social Nature of Health Care Yves Jorens: The Right to Health Care across Borders Vassilis G. Hatzopoulos: Do the Rules on Internal Market Affect National Health Care Systems? Beatrix Karl: Competition Law and Health Care Systems Willy Palm: Voluntary Health Insurance and EU Insurance Directives: Between Solidarity and the Market Leigh Hancher: The Pharmaceuticals Market: Competition and Free Movement Actively Seeking Compromises Christa Altenstetter: Regulation of Medical Devices in the EU.