With the kick off of the Austrian Presidency to the Council of the EU, the ‘Trio Presidency’ started on 1 July 2017 to 31 December 2018, and composed by Austria, Estonia and Bulgaria, is at its last round. The three states have agreed upon a joint 18‑month programme that mainly focus on jobs, growth and competitiveness; freedom, security and justice; energy and climate policies. Among its priorities, Austria will also work to deliver prosperity and competitiveness through digitalisation.
The commitment of Austria to implement its priorities has been further explained by Beate Hartinger-Klein, Austrian Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection, before the European Parliament.
The EFN has worked to ensure that nurses views are picked up to shape EU policies to deliver positive health and social care outcomes, stressing that nurses’ involvement is crucial in of the co-design and implementation of eHealth in order to ensure a full connection to patients.