Making the European Health Data Space a Success

Europe is building the European Health Data Space (EHDS), a secure framework to share electronic health data within and across borders, enabling faster treatment, safer care, and better cures through research and innovation. Member States have set aside €14 billion from the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund for digital health. But that’s just the starting point. Just setting up a national, EHDS-ready electronic health-record infrastructure costs between €0.3 and 1.4 billion per EU country. Even at a low estimate of €0.5 billion per EU country to establish such system, 27 countries would need €13.5 billion, leaving almost nothing for vital components like strong cybersecurity, interoperability, or staff training. 

Without urgent investment, Europe risks delays, data gaps, and missed opportunities to transform healthcare. A renewed investment push is key to build the core infrastructure that makes EHDS a reality in every Member State, ensuring health systems are secure, connected, and future-proof. 

Project scope 

• Set up of the European Digital Health Fund, i.e. a dedicated program to support digitalisation of healthcare systems. This is essential to successfully implement the EHDS, strengthen the Single Market, and enable large-scale deployment of complex solutions that can scale up and improve access to digital health technologies. The Fund could support infrastructure for seamless access to and exchange of health data, building on initiatives like the Cancer Imaging Initiative or the ICUdata4EU project. 

• Set-up of interoperable infrastructure and common EU standards for seamless cross-border exchange of electronic health data, for primary and secondary use. 

• Investment in healthcare practitioner training.  

KPIs by 2030:   

• All Member States to have all infrastructure in place to meet the requirements of the EHDS framework. 

• Every citizen in the EU to have access to their health data in the electronic health record. 

• 100% of European hospitals to use cloud computing services and artificial intelligence. 
• Average medical device conformity assessment reduced to 6 months, with costs cut by 50%.

ROIs by 2030:   

• A true single market for innovative digital health products and solutions, including AI. 

• A thriving, competitive, medical technology and digital health industry that freely operates in the European single market and beyond, investing in research and innovation. 

• Digitalised health systems, making full use of the opportunities brought by the cloud, data analytics and Al. 

• A health sector and health systems that are resilient to external shocks and security threats.