Twenty years ago, as Europe was preparing itself for the new millennium with a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation, the WHO Regional Director for Europe established a clearing house for health care reforms that would ultimately give birth to ‘The European Observatory on Health Care Systems’. Health systems in central and Eastern Europe were changing rapidly, with consequences for the health of the populations concerned. In Western Europe, some were exploring ways to exercise their rights to cross-border health care within the European Union and exploring new possibilities to protect health under the powers bestowed by the Maastricht Treaty. To read more…