On Wednesday, the European Commission stated that it has opened a detailed investigation of some of the public funding for Brussels public hospitals. The investigation focuses on whether "specific measures of deficit financing granted by the Brussels public authorities to the public hospitals of the Brussels-Capital and not to private hospitals in the region, were consistent with EU regulations for government aid, "said the Commission.
In 2005, the Commission received a complaint from two private hospital associations in Brussels, saying the public hospitals in the Capital Region-had been receiving illegal state aid since 1995. The complaints centered mostly on government funding for public hospital deficits and not those of private hospitals. In 2009, the Commission ruled that these measures were compatible with EU law, but one of the plaintiffs appealed that decision.
The Court of the European Union agreed with the complainant and informed the Commission that it should have initiated a thorough investigation to gather additional information. This is what is now being done.
(Source: Belga)
