EC challenges Belgium over laboratory practices:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The European Commission has asked Belgium to change the conditions for reimbursement of medical analyses. The Commission has served Belgium with a Reasoned Opinion, asking it to modify certain provisions of Royal Decree 143 of December 30 1982, whereby non-Belgian laboratories are at a disadvantage compared to certain Belgian professionals. Only laboratories which meet the "restrictive conditions imposed by this Royal Decree", the Commission stated last week, may provide services eligible for reimbursement by the sickness insurance scheme, thus discouraging people covered by this from using laboratories which do not meet these conditions, in contravention of Article 43 of the EC Treaty on the freedom of establishment. Belgium has two months to respond, after which time the Commission may refer the case to the Court of Justice.