Social security: employed persons, self-employed persons, and their families (amend. Regulations (EEC) No 1408/71 and (EEC) No  574/72)

Pending the European Parliament's opinion in first reading, the Council agreed on a provisional general approach on the proposal for a Regulation amending the Regulation 1408/71/EC on coordination of social security schemes and aimed at facilitating the introduction of a European Health Insurance Card. The text of the draft Regulation agreed on by the Council introduces only a few changes to the initial Commission's proposal in order to clarify certain points. In particular, it provides that the date of entry into force of the Regulation is set at 1 June 2004, i.e. the same date as the introduction of the European Health Card itself, (except in the case where publication of the Regulation would be at a later date); direct access to care providers is to be guaranteed by 1 July 2004.�