EU's groundbreaking e-health project unveiled

The planning of the project for citizens’ e-health file will last 30 months, but at the same time the implementation of some pillars of the project will begin, said the Chairman of the National e-health Authority (NeHA), Professor Christos N. Schizas.

According to a written statement, Cyprus was the coordinator of the first kick-off meeting of the European project “Extended EHR@EU Data Space for Primary Use”, held on 29 - 30 November 2023, at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus in Brussels.

During the meeting, the Chairman of the NeHA, Dr Schizas, emphasised that the goal was to define the data that will be included in the file, such as, among other things, its mode of operation, security, the communication and storage protocols, as well as who will have access to the file and how.

In her greeting, the Minister of Health of Cyprus, Dr Popi Kanaris, referred to the importance of the project for European citizens, thanked the representatives of the participating countries and the NeHA for undertaking the coordination of the project, and expressed her wishes for the success of the objectives of the action.

In a greeting read by Marco Marsella, Director for 'Digital, EU4Health and Health Systems Modernisation' at the Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, on behalf of the European Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, the Commissioner stressed the importance of the project which is aimed at the proper implementation of the European Regulation for citizens’ health data. She thanked Cyprus on behalf of the EU, stressing that Cyprus’ modern e-health legislation was a guarantee for the success of the project.

This was the first time that Cyprus coordinates the work of the Joint Action on health issues of the EU member states, in which the competent authorities for e-health and other related organisations from all the EU member states including Norway, participate, it said.

The goal of the project, it adds, is to create the standards and specifications for the citizens’ electronic health files, so as to enable its interoperability at the European level. The ultimate goal is the implementation of the Regulation for the European health data space and the achievement of the European Health Union. The EU finances the project with €6 million which is managed by Cyprus for the needs of the participation of the Member States, it notes.