EUREGHA Working Group on Cross-Border Healthcare: Advancing Regional Cooperation in a Changing EU Landscape
On 30 April 2025, EUREGHA held the Spring Meeting of its Working Group on Cross-Border Healthcare, bringing together regional representatives, project leaders, and institutional partners for an open exchange on current initiatives and future priorities. As the EU moves into a new institutional cycle and prepares for upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations, the meeting served as a timely moment to reflect on how cross-border healthcare can be better supported and scaled across Europe.
Spotlight on Regional Practice and Cross-Border Innovation
Members shared a range of impactful cross-border initiatives. CESCI presented the AXAS project, focused on improving legal and administrative accessibility in Hungarian–Slovak health cooperation. Healthacross Lower Austria highlighted its multi-country work in areas such as digital pathology, rehabilitation, and palliative medicine. The Cross-Border Institute (CBI) outlined its research into health system integration and public health offices across borders, conducted in collaboration with the European Observatory of Health Systems.
The Accessible Quality Healthcare Project from Kosovo addressed primary care and NCDs in border municipalities. Meanwhile, the Skåne Region described support schemes for EU-trained medical professionals, including licensing assistance and language training, with a related event to be held in Brussels on 26 May.
Cross-Border Cooperation: Shared Priorities for the Future
Discussions also focused on how regions can collectively promote stronger EU support for cross-border healthcare. Members exchanged views on the role of local and regional authorities in healthcare resilience, the territorial nature of cross-border needs, and the importance of integrating health more effectively within cohesion policy and Interreg programmes.
Several themes emerged as priorities for future collaboration, including:
Ensuring that cross-border cooperation contributes to reducing inequalities and empowering communities.
Addressing health workforce challenges and improving employment mobility across borders.
Increasing awareness of citizens’ rights to access healthcare services under existing EU legislation.
Strengthening long-term governance and funding mechanisms to support durable partnerships between regions.
These exchanges will inform EUREGHA’s continued work in shaping messages and inputs for upcoming EU-level discussions on health, cohesion, and regional integration.
Stay Connected
This meeting reaffirmed EUREGHA’s commitment to connecting regional expertise with EU policymaking. By facilitating knowledge exchange and supporting strategic advocacy, the Working Group plays a key role in ensuring that cross-border healthcare remains high on the European agenda and rooted in the lived realities of border communities.
For more information on EUREGHA’s cross-border work or to take part in ongoing initiatives, contact marco.didonato@euregha.net.
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