RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The European Union: open to the practising physician? JF Clinical Medicine JO Clin Med FD Royal College of Physicians SP 224 OP 226 DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.2-3-224 VO 2 IS 3 A1 Christopher A Birt YR 2002 UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/2/3/224.abstract AB The European Union (EU) has powers and responsibilities in the area of public health, while the organisation of healthcare facilities remains the concern of member states. However, a series of directives has, since the late 1970s, sought to ensure the right of individual practitioners to travel freely throughout the EU, both to obtain specialist training and to practise in all member states on the same basis as doctors working in the member states where they were first registered. More recently, there has been mutual recognition of completion of specialist training across the EU. A new directive concerning the mobility of medical practitioners across the EU is under discussion.