May 14, 2025

The following is a press release:

In an opinion authored by Birgitta Sacrédeus EU cities and regions unanimously underlined that a well-functioning health system is a key pillar of the EU's social resilience.

The opinion, adopted on 14 May at a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, stresses that labour shortages in the health sector require a range of tailored solutions, as their root causes vary from region to region.

Regions and cities warn that areas without good medical care typically lag behind economically, which poses a risk to stability and strain emergency services.

Local and regional leaders stress the importance of promoting healthy workplaces and protecting job satisfaction as means to attract and retain employees. Effective leadership is identified as a key contributing factor. They also stress the need for continued efforts to eliminate threatening and violent situations in healthcare.

For 19 of the 27 Member States, health systems are to some degree decentralised. Regions typically manage hospitals and are major employers in the health sector. As local and regional authorities are often responsible for healthcare, social care and other social services, they should be actively involved in developing and implementing all EU workforce strategies and plans in these areas .

The World Health Organization (WHO) projects a shortage of 4.1 million healthcare workers in the EU by 2030, despite the sector employing more health and care professionals than ever. This deficit stems from a variety of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a mismatch between supply and demand, and inadequate planning and forecasting. Low salaries, a ‘brain drain’ and poor working conditions are also frequently cited as factors.

While not all regions experience them to the same degree, many territories — especially rural and remote areas — face significant staffing challenges. The opinion therefore calls on Member States to use available data to identify medical deserts, invest and improve access to healthcare in under-served areas. At the same time, the opinion stresses the need to attract, train and retain health professionals, calling for improved training and career development and supporting recruitment from non-EU countries. It therefore welcomes the EU's proposal to create a talent-matching tool: an IT platform that would facilitate the matching of EU employers with workers from non-EU countries.

Quotes:

Rapporteur Birgitta Sacrédeus (SE/EPP), member of County Council, Dalarna region: “The supply of skills requires efforts at all levels and from different perspectives. In light of the demographic challenge and the fact that the entire society is in need of labour, it is not possible to focus solely on increasing the number of personnel. There is no simple solution. Many different measures are needed.”

Background

Report: Safer Together – Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness | European Commission

Ready for the Next Crisis? Investing in Health System Resilience | OECD

Political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029

Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 - State of health in the EU cycle

EU4Health programme 2021-2027.

EU Talent Pool to help address labour shortages across Europe.

Webstreaming: On the website of the CoR.

Contact

Wioletta Wojewodzka

Tel. +32 (0)2 282 2289

Mobile: +32 (0)473 843 986

wioletta.wojewodzka@cor.europa.eu

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The European Committee of the Regions

The European Committee of the Regions is the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives from all 27 Member States. Created in 1994 following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, its mission is to involve regional and local authorities in the EU's decision-making process and to inform them about EU policies. The European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission consult the Committee in policy areas affecting regions and cities. To sit on the European Committee of the Regions, all of its 329 members and 329 alternates must either hold an electoral mandate or be politically accountable to an elected assembly in their home regions and cities. Click here for more details on your national delegation.