EU executive to make cross-border treatment easier

Patients in the European Union can get treatment outside their home state without pre-approval from their doctor under draft rules to be adopted this week.

The European Commission will present the measure as part of a wider package to push forward what it calls "social Europe".

Among the elements is reform of healthcare for patients, a sector guarded as a national domain.

A Commission official told Reuters that patients would be allowed to get treated in another EU state, a step states like Britain may find challenging.

"Pre-authorisation will not be required," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The patient's home healthcare service will have to pay the bill - but only up to the same amount the treatment would cost in the home state, the official said. Where the cost of the treatment is bigger, the patient will foot the difference.

"The challenge is to give more opportunities and guarantees to citizens without affecting the financial sustainability of national health systems," the Commission said in a statement.

The move aims to bring EU rules in line with recent European Court of Justice rulings, such as in 2006 when it said Britain's health service should pay nearly 4,000 pounds for a hip replacement for Yvonne Watts who travelled to France.

Watts said her health authority had made her wait too long.

EU officials hope the package will help answer critics that the bloc is becoming too pro-business and removed from its 490 million citizens, particularly after the Irish rejection of the Lisbon reform treaty.

"Everyone should have the right to access to quality services such as education and healthcare at all ages," the Commission said.

There will be draft rules to stop discrimination outside work - which is already illegal - particularly on grounds of age, sexual orientation, disability and religion or belief.

The rules, if adopted by EU governments, would also put the burden of proof on those accused of discrimination to refute the charge, a copy of the draft rules relating to disability showed.

Some businesses worry they will be forced to make all their goods and services available to disabled people, a step that could involve costly alterations to premises.

There is also a draft reform on EU rules on European Works Councils to ensure "effective social dialogue on restructuring operations".

A discussion paper on Roma could prove sensitive for Italy. Italy's interior minister was condemned this week for a proposal to fingerprint Roma children as part of a crackdown on crime.