This action will support the European Commission green paper on EU workforce for health planned for the second half of 2008. The pilot project, which will be dedicated to establish best practices for improving professional training and qualifications of health care workers and their remuneration, will be funded through the  budget line 040411 of 2008 EU budget up to a maximum of 1M€.

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.

Within the political objectives of the project, the 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.

Specific actions planned under Health Professionals Pilot Project

1. Contribution of maximum 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 will be implemented via an open call for tender. The selection procedure is due to be finalised in September 2008.
2. Direct grant of maximum 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.
3. Direct grant of maximum 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.
4. Organisation of a workshop in Brussels in December 2008 for maximum 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.

Second and third specific actions will  be awarded without a call of proposal due to their specific characteristics and he high degree of specialisation of WHO and  OECD, as  foreseen by the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation.