Economic Integration Vs. Social Policy? the Case of Changing Schemes of Healthcare Systems in the EU

The European Union (EU) has long been the most developed model of economic and political integration that has brought a common market, a common currency and a standardization of national policies in certain areas in consistent with EU values and principles for Sustainable Development. To this direction, there is a parallel process of social integration that effect public policy decisions of member states. Even though social policy, i.e. social protection and moreover healthcare policy, still remains in state's responsibility to develop, EU applies different mechanisms in order to influence health policy regimes since from a more federalist point of view, EU ought to expand its regulatory and legislative roles in as many policy areas as possible. The purpose of this research paper is to discuss the above issues and provide an insight on the impact of economic integration in formulating market oriented national healthcare systems