On February 14th, 2025, during the European Health Data Space’s Community of Practice for secondary use (EHDS2 CoP) General Assembly, SPMS took on the rapporteur (vice-chair) role for the General Assembly, in preparation for chairing it the next year.
The EHDS2 CoP was created to promote the collaboration and sharing of best practices between the authorities responsible for establishing the technological infrastructure and the legal and organizational entity – the Health Data Access Body (HDAB) – necessary for the reuse of health data for research, medical innovation and lawmaking in health (secondary use), as foreseen in the EHDS Regulation.
This position was taken over by SPMS during the General Assembly that occurred in Malta, from the 12th to 14th of February, a meeting which aimed to present the latest advances of the multiple work groups of the Community of Practice, as well as facilitating the interaction between these and the European Commission (EC). Beyond the work group sessions, the General Assembly also hosted clarification sessions by the EC regarding the implementation of the requirements for creating the HDABs and sessions with other European projects (such as QUANTUM and TEHDAS2). These contributions were essential to guaranteeing the alignment with the EC and the various European projects, strengthening the foundations for the implementation of HDABs across Europe.
The role of rapporteur, taken by Cátia Sousa Pinto from the Global Digital Health and International Affairs Team, will be performed in conjunction with the current and past presidents of the General Assembly and has as main functions defining the strategic vision and objectives of the community for secondary use of health data, ensuring alignment with primary health data use. Furthermore, the General Assembly is the focal point between various EHDS initiatives, promoting cooperation between Member States and aligning their strategies.
SPMS’ acceptance of this role reflects its ongoing commitment to advancing the secondary use of health data and reinforces their collaboration in developing the needed infrastructure at a European level. SPMS’ active participation will be key to ensure the national vision and innovation are taken to the highest level of this community, coordinating our efforts directly with the European Commission.
Disclaimer: The HealthData@PT action is co-funded by the European Union, EU4Health Program 2021-2027 under Grant Agreement Nr 101128332. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the grant-awarding authority can be held responsible for these opinions.
