Here is the outcome of the discussion in Strasbourg with the additions in bold:
Social affairs and healthcare
All people have the right to the highest attainable standard of the quality of health care and education. This includes preventive, curative and palliative health care. It also includes the underlying social determinants of health, such as safe food, potable water, basic sanitation and adequate housing, safe and healthy working conditions and a healthy environment.
Availability & comfort of the patient
Pirates want an equal access to health care for everyone, irrespective of the resources available to a state, and support:
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No discrimination (direct or indirect) in access to health care, irrespective of the resources available to a state.
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Health goods and services accessible to everyone. States must ensure that no persons face barriers in accessing their right to health including the access to information about health and health services.
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Health goods and services affordable for everybody regardless of their income level.
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Health laws and policies designed and implemented in a transparent manner and with meaningful participation of persons affected by it. All health systems must include a framework for accountability, which should include access to effective judicial or other appropriate measures for violations of the right to health.
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Reducing patents for medicines or at least avoiding administrative prolongation of patents. Publicly funded medicines, including e.g COVID related vaccines, should be available under patent-free open-source license.
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Easier cross-border care utilization: Improving opportunities to use health care systems abroad on the account of domestic health insurance companies.
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Cross-border care should not lead to the implementation of policies that are running against privacy, nor against decentralization of data or patients control and consent over the use of their data.
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Cross-border care should not lead to the implementation of policies that are running against privacy, nor against patients control and consent over the use of its data.
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EU health card for the world: Negotiation of the validity of the European Health Insurance Card (Blue Card) in the non-EU countries.
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No matter how health systems have been structured (private, public or mixed), the health services should be available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality for all persons and should guarantee universal health care for all.
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Pirates demand that the Europe strengthens its sovereignty on active ingredient and medicines production.
Right to bodily autonomy
The European Pirate Party considers bodily autonomy to be an important human right, and as such we demand that safe and legal abortion be available to all, no matter the reason for their choice. We also demand free access to contraceptives, including both male and female sterilization. All medical procedures, particularly those related to sexual and reproductive health and rights, must be based on informed consent obtained without coercion. As such, we demand the criminalization of sex corrective procedures done on intersex infants unless it is absolutely medically neccesary.
In addition, we demand an informed consent model for gender affirming care, that it is made affordable and also accessible. Neither legal gender recognition nor access to medical or surgical sex reassignment should be made conditional on abusive requirements such as psychiatric diagnosis, normative gender expression, or medical procedures.
We will work towards creating a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can freely express their gender identity and sexual orientation, without fear of discrimination or violence.
Free Movement of Workers
EU nationals working in another EU country have to overcome dozens of administrative obstacles to work in and fully integrate into another EU country – especially different social security systems, different nature of the payment into these systems, registration to health care systems etc.
Therefore the EU should encourage its Member states to continue in removing administrative barriers to the Free movement of Workers through the harmonisation of social security systems and public healthcare systems, especially the harmonisation of payments into these systems and sharing the information between the member states.
Fighting discrimination
We propose policies that promote equal rights and opportunities for all individuals regardless of gender or sexual orientation. We prioritize mainstreaming gender equality and LGBTI rights. This would involve ending discrimination and violence against women and LGBTI individuals, promoting reproductive health and rights, and ensuring equal pay and employment opportunities. We believe that recognition of same-sex marriage and parenthood should be enshrined.
Just transition
As advocates of the digital and green transitions, we acknowledge the interconnectedness of social, digital, and environmental issues, especially in certain regions. We therefore promote adequate EU funding to the most impacted regions, and for the promotion of new required skills. We push for life-long learning via up-skilling and re-skilling for instance. Ensuring that science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors are appropriately staffed, with a view of integrating underrepresented categories is a priority.
As part of no one left behind policy, we do believe that providing funding to vulnerable households for their transition regarding transport, heating, insulation, etc. is necessary.
Social standards
Pirates defend the idea of universal access to education, knowledge, healthcare and adequate social protection. On the latter, we need to protect vulnerable groups from poverty and exclusion, including through policies that guarantee a minimum income and adequate social services.
Workers shall be granted appropriate and good working conditions. Teleworking and platform work are becoming more and more prominent but are still facing regulatory gaps. We must ensure that new forms of work are not enhancing employees surveillance nor degrading their working conditions and rights.
European countries shall ensure adequacy of wages for the employees working in European Economic Area. While we recognize impossibility to define it uniformly in current Europe, we believe the employees shall be provided with transparent access to information and proper legal protection to be able to negotiate fair wage. No double standard for refugees and other non-citizens working in Europe shall be allowed. Further research and pilot projects for universal basic income are welcomed.
Points that we haven’t had time to tackle:
- Better integration of public healthcare insurance
- European pension fund
- relevant stakeholders consultation when building European social policies