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activities
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Filiz Hyusmenova in the European Projects Broadcast of Bulgarian National Radio |
Filiz Hysmenova from Brussels in the European Projects broadcast of Bulgarian National Radio, Hristo Botev channel, anchor Gergina Dvoretska
Reporter:
A lady from our audience asked the question: How can Bulgarian students in EU countries use health services? We have invited Ms. Filiz Hyusmenova to answer. Two weeks ago, at the European Parliament session, the ALDE group head, Mr. Graham Watson, submitted a proposal related to the directive on a common health services market in Europe – what difference will this directive make?
Filiz Hyusmenova:
Good afternoon to the audience of the Hristo Botev channel.
I will try to answer the lady’s question in concrete terms. Bulgarian citizens who reside outside Bulgaria for more than 183 days (6 months) in a calendar year, should submit an application to the National Revenue Agency requesting that their health insurance installments be waived for the period of their stay abroad. They have the status of permanently residing in an EU member states and are subject to the regulations of the health insurance system of the state they reside in. They are being treated as citizens of this state.
If the citizen stays abroad for less than 183 days and has continued to pay his/her health insurance in Bulgaria, he/she can request that the Regional Health Insurance Agency issue an European health insurance card which is valid for all EU members states. This card entitles citizens to any medical help that would enable them to continue their stay in the country.
To your second question: The Directive on a common market of health services in Europe has been discussed for a year now. A priority of the Liberals group in the European Parliament whose member I am is to liberalize the health services market in the EU, while guaranteeing patients’ interests. It is of utmost importance to us that every European citizen has the access to the best possible health care in Europe. In mid-January, the leader of liberals and democrats in Europe Graham Watson insisted before the European Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou that the Directive Draft be tabled already during the Slovenian presidency, i.e., by mid-2008.
The liberalization of health services supposes that every EU citizen, Bulgarians included, can be treated free of charge in any EU country, provided they have paid their health insurance in their country of birth and have a doctor’s prescription. The treatment expenses must be paid by the health care system in their own country. Yet, there are still discussing on how exactly this open market will function. Some countries are anxious that this will lead to the so called “health tourism”. Also debatable is the question whether patients must obtain permission in their own country for treatment abroad. Health is important to everyone and we will try to provide the best possible conditions for treatment and prevention.
Reporter:
Ms. Hyusmenova, could you please tell our audience what answers you got from the European Commissioner Danuta Hübner last Wednesday related to the use of structure funds: project control, gender equality in participation in these programs, etc. Also, could you please remind us of your proposals regarding the Fourth Report on Economic and Social Cohesion?
Filiz Hyusmenova:
European Commissioner Danuta Hübner reported to the Commission on Regional Policy on January 23. As deputy president of this commission I could ask questions whose answers were important to me because of situation in Bulgaria and also because of my work in the gender equality commission. That is why I wanted more information on how structure funds are utilized, especially in new member states. The highest utilization, about 90%, is reported by advanced countries, but Hungary and Estonia are doing very well regarding rural regions funds. The lowest result is a 50% utilization of the allocated budget. There is some improvement over previous years and this is an indication that, though Bulgaria did not adequately utilize funds in the first two years, it could learn, drawing on the experience of other countries. To my question about project control, Ms. Hübner replied that the first level of control is the European Commission and the European Audit Court. The EC organizes trainings aimed at those responsible for the control and there will be trainings for everyone engaged in national and regional management. In this way, the deficiencies and faults established so far are expected to be amended. I asked the European Commissioner on Regional Policy whether gender equality was taken into account in regional policy funding and how we can be sure that the principle of equality had been applied. I believe that as MEPs we must repeat the questions about gender equality in order to initiate the necessary development and to guarantee that it will reach local authorities too. I am pleased with the answer that The European Commission requires member states to ensure gender equality in bodies that manage different financial institutions and that Monitoring will check whether the number of men is equal to that of women engaged in projects.
The Report on Economic and Social Cohesion is drafted by the European Commission. The policy of cohesion is a key tool of the European Union through which different regions can attain the same living and economic standard. The report reveals problem and needy areas. It will be voted on January 23 2007 at the Regional development Commission. I have submitted six proposals for amendments and supplements.
My proposals launch ideas of boosting transnational and trans-regional cooperation, creating conditions for encouraging public-private partnerships on a regional level, as well as improving the educational level of EU citizens, especially that of minority groups and an equal access to the labour market. I drew the institutions’ attention to the need of supplementability between the different structure funds and the tools of rural development, whose settlement would positively affect the EU balanced development and improve the quality of life. After my work on the report about regional impact of earthquakes, I once again used this opportunity to emphasize the need of providing timely and adequate assistance from the special Solidarity Fund to member states for coping with natural calamities.
Reporter:
How would you comment the fact that the EP rejected the text about Norway’s experience in the report on women and entrepreneurship?
On January 17 in Strasbourg, MEPs rejected with 296 votes “against,” 294 votes “in favour of,” and 7 “abstained” a paragraph which welcomed the Norway’s government decision to adopt measures for increasing the share of women in managing boards of public companies to reach at least 40% by 2003 and passed a law on a women’s share of 40% on the managing boards of joint-stock companies by the end of 2005.; calls upon members states to follow Norway’s example.
Filiz Hyusmenova:
The report of Portuguese Ilde Figueiredo gives the example of Norway, where a law prescribes a 40% quota of women on boards of joint-stock companies. The voting should not be regarded as a rejection of the idea of gender equality in entrepreneurship. On the contrary, the EU strategies are directed towards increasing women’s share in the economy. Last year, I myself conducted 29 seminars for entrepreneurial training and my goal was to train as many women as possible. The rejection of this paragraph was formal, since Figueiredo’s report is not a normative act and it should not set one country’s practice as an example to all European countries. The public attitudes in members states differ and the European Parliament gave general directions rather than making the member countries change their legislation following Oslo’s model.
The report on women in industry drew attention to the following:
- equal remuneration for men and women,
- distribution of responsibilities in working families, and
- the need of continuing education, even towards the end of women’s careers.
The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality works continuously, though sometimes unostentatiously, to make the necessary recommendations to national governments and uphold the right to equality.
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