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

The Commission has agreed to incorporate all amendments adopted by the European Parliament. These concern the following: - simplifying the formalities for patients who need care in the State of stay by allowing them direct access to care providers. Others aim to ensure that the care providers will be fully aware of the extent of the rights of the insured persons during the temporary stay; - clarifying and making more precise the Commission's proposal or to make some linguistic corrections; - ensuring the information of the insured persons about their rights and obligations arising from the new Regulation; - specifying in a precise way the obligation of information of the institution and of the insured persons about their situation; - replacing the word "penalties" which is strong and refers to criminal law, by "measures" which is softer; - specifying that the document (European health insurance card or E-form) has the same effect with regard to the care provider as national evidence of the entitlements of the persons insured with the institution of the place of stay; - the entry into force of the new Regulation, this amendment makes sure that the new Regulation will enter into force on the same date (1 June 2004) as the European health insurance card. As far as the direct access to care providers is concerned, for purely administrative reasons, the entry into force is postponed until 1 July 2004.�