
Sole Article 
The pilot project referred to in the Annex is approved and shall be financed through the budget line 040411 of the budget of the European Communities for 2008 up to a maximum of EUR 1 000 000.
The Director-General of Directorate-General for Health and Consumer is in charge of its implementation.
Done at Brussels, 2 October 2008.
For the Commission
Androulla VASSILIOU
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

Domainhealth professionalsLegal basisArticles 49(6)(a) and 75 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002.Pilot project under budget line04 04 11.Political objectivesThe Budget Authority asks the Commission in its appropriation to fund initiatives which help dealing with the new employment situation in the health sector particularly in relation to professional qualifications and duties carried out by healthcare workers, healthcare-assistants and lower skilled nurses. The measures include:

— analysing factors and policies aimed at better meet the need for measures to increase the supply and to improve the qualification of healthcare staff in the long run,
— Promoting exchange policies and best practices aimed at facing the increase in care consumption due to demographic change,
— Funding initiatives examining the cross border effects on the health services,
— Paying attention to the effects of the different levels of remuneration, which may come out of this context, studies, meetings with experts and information campaign. A solution should also be found to maintain the level of care in the national health systems.The tasks of the project are in line with the Commission planned green paper on EU workforce for health which will start a process of detailed consideration of health workforce planning and supply and the impact of health worker mobility within Member States and within the EU.Appropriations 2008Budget line 04 04 11 pilot project: New employment situation in the health sector: best practices for improving professional training and qualification of health care workers and their remuneration. EUR 1 000 000.Number of specific actions planned4.
The first one will be a contribution of maximum EUR 100 000 to a study on ‘Healthcare Services, Sectors and Products in Europe Assessment of the Current state, Opportunities, Challenges and Socio-Economic Impact’ launched by Enterprise and Industry DG in cooperation with Health and Consumers DG. The action shall be implemented via an open call for tender. The selection procedure is due to be finalised in September 2008.
The second one will be a direct grant of maximum EUR 400 000 and 80 % to the WHO Observatory for the organisation of workshops on exchange of best practices on policies to maintain or retain healthcare workforce. As foreseen by Article 168(1)(f) of the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation, the grant will be awarded without a call of proposal due to the specific characteristics of this action and the high degree of specialisation of WHO.
The third one will be a direct grant of maximum EUR 300 000 and 60 % to the OECD for a study assessing the working conditions of nurses and policies to promote a more efficient management of the nurse workforce. As foreseen by Article 168(1)(f) of the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation, the grant will be awarded without a call of proposal due to the specific characteristics of this action and the high degree of specialisation of OECD.
The fourth one will be the organisation of a workshop in Brussels in December 2008 for maximum EUR 200 000. The workshop will be funded through various contracts after the publication of the green paper on EU workforce for health to launch an information campaign, foster the debate and encourage contribution aiming at identifying best practices.
