Priority question for written answer

?Priority question for written answer P-005395/2020to the CommissionRule 138Henna Virkkunen (PPE)Subject:Discrepancy between the Patients’ Rights Directive and Finland’s national legislation, and plans by the Finnish Government to cut healthcare compensation offered under health insurance policiesDirective 2011/24/EU on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (the Patients’ Rights Directive) entered into force on 24 April 2011. The deadline for implementation was 20?October?2013.With reference to my previous written question (P-000957/2020), I would like to draw the Commission's attention to the plans announced by the Finnish Government (including page?24 of the Council of State Budget plan, and the briefing by the minister, Krista Kiuru, on 6?February?2020) to cut healthcare compensation offered under health insurance policies (known as ‘Kela compensation’). It is clear that the amendment to the legislation, which is currently at the drafting stage, would reduce the level of compensation and would exacerbate further the discrepancy between Finland’s national legislation and the Patients’ Rights Directive, which takes precedence over it.The Commission’s reasoned opinion was issued in 2016 and, according to the response to my previous question, the infringement proceedings are still ongoing. Finland has failed to comply with the core content of the Directive for seven years and, in contrast with the efforts of previous governments to rectify the situation, the current government has not set out any plans or even expressions of intent to make a similar effort.Does the Commission intend to take the infringement proceedings forward before attempts are made to amend Finland’s national legislation, which will further weaken the rights guaranteed by the Directive?I shall also repeat my enquiry, to which the Commission did not react in its response to my previous written question:What is the Commission’s interpretation of whether Article 7(4) of the Patients’ Rights Directive has direct legal effect in Finland, i.e. should the Finnish authorities interpret the Directive as entitling people who are registered for healthcare purposes as residents of Finland to receive reimbursement for healthcare services used elsewhere in the EU according to the same principles under which they would receive reimbursements for using public healthcare in Finland? ................
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