Health system governance in Europe: the case of hospitals

This dissertation on health system governance in EU policies and the effects for domestic hospitals concludes that a comprehensive EU agenda regarding hospitals is emerging. However, Member States are still in the driver’s seat for their hospital policies. The EU is increasingly influencing the context in which domestic hospital policy is made by providing the intelligence for assessing current hospital structures, acting as spin doctor for innovations and policy directions, providing seed money for testing out practical applications, and serving as an exchange platform for domestic decision makers. Nevertheless, in many instances it is up to the discretion of Member States to take up ideas and initiatives. In case they do so, Member States should be aware that the EU role in hospital policy is not neutral but involves larger policy rationales of the EU itself