2013/329/EU: Commission Implementing Decision of 26 June 2013 providing the rules for the establishment, management and transparent functioning of the Network of national authorities or bodies responsible for health technology assessment

27.6.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 175/71
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION
of 26 June 2013
providing the rules for the establishment, management and transparent functioning of the Network of national authorities or bodies responsible for health technology assessment
(2013/329/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (1), and in particular Article 15(4) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Article 15 of Directive 2011/24/EU assigned the Union to support and facilitate cooperation and the exchange of information among Member States working within a voluntary network connecting national authorities responsible for health technology assessment (‘HTA’) designated by Member States (hereinafter ‘the HTA Network’).
(2) In accordance with Article 15(4) of Directive 2011/24/EU the Commission has an obligation to adopt the necessary rules for the establishment, management and transparent functioning of the HTA Network.
(3) Participation in the HTA Network being voluntary, Member States should be able to join at any time. For organisational purposes, Member States wishing to participate should inform the Commission of this intention in advance.
(4) Personal data should be processed in accordance with Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (2), Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications) (3) and Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (4), as appropriate.
(5) The Union has co-financed actions in the field of HTA through the Public Health Programme established by Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) and the Health Programme established by Decision No 1350/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (6), thereby supporting scientific and technical cooperation between national and regional organisations responsible for HTA with the acronym EUnetHTA (7). It has also financed methodological work in the field of HTA through the 7th Research Framework Programme, established by Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme established by Decision No 1639/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (9).
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up by Article 16 of Directive 2011/24/EU,