Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2021.62.553
The role of the European Union in health policies of member states – an example of the rare diseases policy in Croatia
Snježana Ivčić
; Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
Dagmar Radin
orcid.org/0000-0002-8636-9516
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Aim To assess the European Union’s (EU) impact on the
Croatian health policy, and identify which mechanisms
and processes were used to shape a particular health policy on the EU and national levels. The study focused on the
rare diseases policy to obtain a better insight into the process of policy shaping, starting at the EU level and moving
down to the Croatian national level.
Methods We conducted actor analysis, policy networks,
and semi-structured qualitative interviews with key policy
actors at the EU and domestic level. The analysis of actors
included actor mapping, the analysis of their relationships,
and of their interdependence. Policy networks involved
identifying key actors and analyzing them separately to
create both policy networks to explain their hierarchy and
relationships. Semi-structured interviews included ten key
experts at the EU and national health policy levels.
Results The implementation of the EU health policy is
complex. Hard and soft law were complementary in the
way they affected the translation of EU rare diseases policy
into Croatian law. Strong and interconnected EU and domestic actors were significant in this process, which resulted in the creation of Croatia’s rare diseases policy.
Conclusion Given that the rare diseases policy area is a
developing policy area, this study contributes to a better
understanding of the implementation of the EU health
policy, clarifying a mechanism that can enable national
governments to adopt specific health policies.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
278805
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2021.
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