Eurocamara seguirá atenta al deterioro de las condiciones de trabajo de los médicos en Ceuta y Melilla

The European Parliament has promised to continue deteriorating the working conditions of public service doctors in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, who have reported to the General Council of Official Colleges in Spain (CGCOM).

Ricardo de Lorenzo, the Director of Legal Services at the General Council of Medicine, appeared before the European Parliament on Tuesday to request the intervention of the European Union regarding the situation of healthcare professionals in Ceuta and Melilla, which directly affects public health, the quality of care, and the principle of equity.

The Eurochamber’s Petitions Committee decided on Tuesday to maintain the request for Parliament’s intervention to address the situation they describe as «close to collapse in these cities due to the inaction of the state administration and to unlock the healthcare strike situation.»

This decision was agreed upon by the Members of the European Parliament, who also requested an updated response from the European Commission on this matter, even though the community’s executive has already stated that they «cannot take direct action to remedy the healthcare systems in Ceuta and Melilla.»

However, Brussels emphasized that they assist Member States in dealing with the shortage of healthcare personnel, with Spain being one of the countries benefiting from these measures.

The Commission also stressed that workers wishing to challenge the violation of national working time limits should submit their requests to the competent national authorities, such as the Ombudsman or judicial bodies.

Ricardo de Lorenzo highlighted that «the situation in which Ceuta and Melilla cannot continue to be treated as a national competence, when what is at stake is compliance with EU law, territorial equity, and the fundamental rights of professionals and patients.»

In his speech, he argued that «the Commission has the power to act under EU law,» that «the practical application of European instruments is insufficient,» and that «the situation affects fundamental rights and may constitute a systematic offense,» as doctors work longer hours than allowed by law. He urged the Commission to assess whether this is a continuous structural offense under European law.

Finally, the Director of Legal Services at CGCOM called on the EU to take concrete actions and conduct active monitoring, as current projects and reports «do not address the situation in Ceuta and Melilla in a specific or efficient manner, perpetuating clear territorial discrimination in the Spanish state.»

As a result, they request that the Spanish state be questioned regarding the measures implemented in these regions, the possibility of opening a preliminary investigation into the violation of Directive 2023/88/EC, which is included in the European Semester reports; and evaluating the option of creating a European early monitoring and alert tool to support sustained regional health crises.

Dr. Tomás Cobo, President of the Collegian Medical Organization, and Ricardo de Lorenzo appeared before the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee in November 2023 to highlight the deteriorating working conditions in the public service in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. CGCOM has called for EU intervention to address the near-collapse situation in these two autonomous cities.

In January 2024, the Commission issued a response concluding that «according to the distribution of powers, the Commission cannot take direct action to remedy the healthcare systems in Ceuta and Melilla. However, the Commission offers assistance to Member States in addressing healthcare personnel issues, with Spain being a beneficiary.»

FUENTE