Mr President, it is generally assumed that all EU care systems are based on the principles of solidarity, justice and universality. These entail that every person, in the case of illness or need for care, is entitled to the appropriate high-quality care without any distinction according to income, means or age. The European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which was compiled in 2000 and is to form part of the European Constitution, guarantees for the elderly a dignified and independent life and for each person the right to access to health care and medical treatment. Moreover, the draft constitution provides for the pursuit of a high level of social protection. Everyone can therefore rest assured, because on paper, everything is regulated down to the last detail. However, in practice, economies of scale mean that there are increasing complaints about the unacceptably long travelling distances between home and hospital, about waiting lists for hospital admission, about a shortage of accommodation for the elderly who need care, a shortage of medical and care staff, a reduction in medicines available and the need to go abroad. For some people, the shortage of care leads to premature death and for others, it leads to such a poor quality of life that they choose to die by means of voluntary euthanasia long before they have reached the natural stage of dying. Needless to say, there are all kinds of excuses for these wrongs. On average, people tend to live longer, they have fewer children than before, and those children – men and women – are completely absorbed by the ever more binding obligation to work. Help from neighbours and children is less and less available. In those circumstances, it is irresponsible to reduce taxes and premiums on the basis of the argument that we need less. Since this is done anyway, there is ever more public doubt as to the affordability of health care, care for the elderly and pensions in an ageing society. Additionally, staff for care tasks are increasingly scarce, since, in times of economic growth, those people are drained away to production sectors that are, for a time more profitable and offer a higher salary. As soon as they lose their jobs as a result of an economic crisis, they are not suitably trained to be able to deal with care tasks effectively. The drain of personnel from countries with a lower standard of living exacerbates the problems over there. In one candidate Member State, Romania, a large proportion of the population is now no longer insured, so they rely on the goodwill of doctors. If insurance cover and care tasks are entrusted to private companies that claim to make a profit despite charging less, then accessibility, quality and equal treatment are further eroded. The European Union should discourage this development rather than encourage it. If we want to realise all the fine intentions that have been made on paper, a collective approach will be needed on a larger scale than is possible the basis of voluntary work by family members. In that case, the necessary funding should also be made available, which means that a larger proportion of our national income should be spent on public services in the care sector.

Political group: GUE-NGL