Implementing EU Acquis, Procedures and Challenges

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Implementing EU Acquis, Procedures and
Challenges
Poland, Warsaw 22nd 23rd September 2004
Dr Annita Anastassiadou Co-ordinator EU Integr
ation Sector
Ministry of Health Cyprus
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CYPRUS

• Cyprus is the third largest Mediterranean
  Island (area 9250 sq km)
  
• Population 793.100 (data 2001)

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Health System in Cyprus

• Cyprus has a dual System on health Care
  Delivery
  
• Public Sector ( funded by taxation and some user
  charges)
  
• Private Sector (funded by user charges, private
  health insurance and foreign investments)
  
• Total expenditure on health as a percentage to
  GDP increased from 4.5 in 1999 to 6.4 in 2002
  

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Statistical Data 2002

• Birth Rate 11.6
• Death Rate 6.9
• Infant Mortality Rate 4.9
• Expectation of life at birth Men 76.1, Women 81

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Statistical Data 2002 (2)

• Doctors per 1000 of population 2,6
• Persons per dentist 1.092
• Persons per nurse/midwife 237

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Implementation of EU Acquis into National Law

• The following harmonized amended Laws were
  approved by the Cyprus House of Representatives
  before 1st of May 2004
  
• Doctors Registration Law and Regulations
  (Specialties) 2004
  
• Dentists Registration Law and Regulations
  (Specialties) 2004
  
• Nursing and Midwifery Law 2004
• Pharmacy and Poison Law 2002 and 2003

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Contacts with other MS Competent Authorities
and the EU Commission

• The Cyprus Competent Authorities have contacts
  with the CA of the other member states (mainly UK
  and Greece)
  
• Contacts with the European Commission are
  established (Senior Officials of Public Health
  Committee)
  
• Useful and fruitful cooperation

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• Recognition of EEA qualifications (including
  third country qualifications recognized in other
  EEA countries), the national system
  
• The EEA qualifications (stated in the relevant
  Directives) are automatically recognized by the
  Cyprus Competent authorities
  
• In the cases of third country qualifications,
  these are assessed by the Cyprus CA according to
  certain criteria, like curriculum and training
  period. In addition,KYSATS (Cyprus Council for
  the Recognition of University Diplomas), has a
  counselling role to the CA on these issues by
  examining the equivalency of third country
  qualifications.

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Registration and Licensing Cyprus competent auth
orities

• Cyprus Medical Council
• Cyprus Dental council
• Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Cyprus Pharmacy Council
• The Councils are legally regulated bodies, with
  autonomous status, supervised by the Ministry of
  Health
  
• The members of these Councils are appointed by
  the Cyprus Council of Ministers. The members are
  private and public sector professionals.

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Minimum requirements for first time registration

• Proof of identity
• Proof of qualification (diploma or certificate)
• Certificate of good standing
• Proof of previous diploma or certificate which
  gives the right to exercise the profession
  
• These requirements are common for doctors,
  dentists, pharmacists, nurses and midwives. The
  pharmacists require certificate of physical and
  mental health, as well.No language requirement
  exists, except for nurses and midwives and
  operators of pharmacies.

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Responsibilities of the Competent Authorities

• Recognize the qualifications and issue license to
  practice
  
• Safeguard the quality of the execution of the
  professions
  
• Supervise the professions
• Serve as information centres for health care
  professionals wishing to work abroad/for foreign
  professionals wishing to work in Cyprus
  
• Continuing Education in collaboration with the
  professional associations
  

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Other Issues

• Language Requirements
• Not regulated in the National legislation
• Prerequisite for employment in the Public Sector

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• Problems encountered by the Councils MEDICAL
  COUNCIL
  
• From May the 1st until 31st August 2004,
• twelve(12) doctors applied for registration
  with the Cyprus Medical Council . Another six (6)
  applied for registration to provide services
  
• Applicants Citizenship (for establishment)
  Greek, Hungarian and English
  
• Applicants Citizenship (temporary) Greek,
  English
  
• Many requests for information have been
  received.
  
• Confusion on the issue of temporary provision of
  services
  

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• DENTAL COUNCIL
• From May the 1st until 31st August
  2004,
  
• fifteen (15) dentists applied for
  registration with the Cyprus Dental Council . Ten
  were approved for registration.
  
• Applicants Citizenship 8 Cypriots, 5 Greeks and
  2 from third countries - Applicants diplomas8
  from EU countries, 7 from third countries
  

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DENTAL COUNCIL (2) Applicants having a di
ploma from former CEE (Central East European
Countries, like Czech Republic and Slovakia)
applied for registration with the Cyprus Dental
Council. Their diplomas are not compatible with
the Dental Training Directive.
In the country of origin of the diploma, a
dentist is eligible for registration after having
completed 3 years of vocational training.
Nevertheless, they are registered in Cyprus due
to the article on transitional period of the
Dentists Registration Law, that covers the
Cypriot citizens, their children and spouses.
This clause is valid until April 2009 (5 years
after the accession).
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• PHARMACY COUNCIL
• From May the 1st until 31st August 2004,
• Five (5) pharmacists (4 Cypiots with EU
  Diplomas and one EU citizen with third country
  diploma) applied for registration with the
  Cyprus Pharmaceutical Council . By way of
  comparison, there has been no significant
  increase in the number of the applicants.

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• Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council
• From May the 1st until 31st August 2004,
• Eighty-five (85) nurses applied for registration
  with the Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council.
  
• Thirty-two (32) were approved for registration
• -46 EU Citizens and 39 from third countries
• -34 with EU Diplomas and 51 with third countries
  diplomas
  
• Fourteen (14) midwives applied for Registration
  with the Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council.
  
  
• Ten (10) were approved for registration
• 5 EU Citizens and 9 from third countries-6 with
  EU Diplomas and 8 with third countries diplomas
  

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Problems encountered by the Councils
3.Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council
Since the 1st of May 2004, by way of comparison,
there has been an increase in the number of the
nurses and midwives applicants from Greece and
CEE countries . 4. Problems deriving from the acq
uired rights of the nurses/midwives from CEE
(Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland)
According to the Nursing and Midwifery Law, which
was harmonised and amended in 2003 (the relevant
Articles for nationals of member states applied
after 1st May 2004) some nationals from the above
mentioned countries were registered with the
Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council as 2nd level
nurses (working under the supervision of 1st
level nurses). After Cyprus accession into the
EU, these professionals applied for registration
with the council as General Nurses (previously
named 1st level). According to current
legislation, the prerequisites for registration
as a General Nurse include the provision of a
certificate from their country of origin that the
interested persons were practicing the profession
for three consecutive years over the last five
years and that their diploma complies with the
directives 77/452/EEC (General care nurses) and
80/154/EEC (Midwives). Nevertheless, these
persons can not obtain such a certificate because
they have been residing in Cyprus for some years
prior to accession.
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After Accession Certification of nationally
acquired professional qualifications, the
national system

• Acquired rights the certificates issued
• The Cyprus Competent Authorities certify that a
  professional registered in Cyprus has lawfully
  practiced the profession in question for at least
  three consecutive years during the last five
  years prior to the issue of the certificate.
• This certificate is required for nationals of
  member states in case their diplomas do not
  comply with the relevant Directives.

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After Accession Certification of nationally
acquired professional qualifications, the
national system

• Numbers (estimates) of migrating professionals
• Only four (4) registered dentists applied to the
  Cyprus Dental Council for a Certificate of Good
  Standing