19.07.2023 Blog Article posted by QluPod
Herisau, Switzerland QluPod AG (www.qlupod.com)

The European Union (EU) emerged from the European Economic Community, which had existed since 1957, and was officially founded on 1 November 1993. It is the third largest economic area in the world, currently consisting of 27 member states. There are also some candidate countries such as Moldova, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Ukraine, Albania and Northern Macedonia.

The EU decision-making bodies in Strasbourg and Brussels make recommendations and impose political and economic requirements on individual members. The EU usually allows a certain period of time for the required implementation of regulations, directives and decisions. It is noticeable that the long-standing EU members often take a long time with implementation.

The EU states of the younger generation, on the other hand, often take the decisions from Brussels much more seriously and stand out for their efforts to work out quick applications in practice. It is striking that these are mainly countries that belong to Eastern Europe or to the accession candidates such as Northern Macedonia and Albania. This article examines the reasons for prompt action and analyses which factors lead to faster implementation than in their Western European neighbours.

Avoid mistakes from the past!

The costly mistakes of their Western European neighbours. Instead of following the trial-and-error approach, the younger generation EU countries are trying to benefit from the experience of other countries and thus leapfrog developments. This saves resources and helps to achieve even ambitious goals quickly and cost-effectively. A major problem of the established industrialised countries are the rigid and complex structures that often prevent quick decisions. Decision-makers shy away from change and stick to old designs that have worked well so far. This way of thinking can slow down both states and companies in their development and make them vulnerable to changes in the market. A good example of this are former big companies like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Texas Instruments, Minolta, Swissair or Philips. Even these seemingly untouchable companies have either disappeared altogether or shrunk considerably in the fast-moving economic world. If countries react too slowly to certain developments, the corresponding living space becomes unattractive for business and population due to expensive structures and rising costs. This applies to infrastructure as well as to rising health costs and other financial burdens. To escape this development, some EU states and candidate countries from the Eastern European region are making quick decisions and are willing to accept changes for a successful and sustainable future.

The challenge of demographic change.

The population pyramid is a statistical instrument for depicting the age distribution in a society. The so-called baby boomer generation is particularly noticeable here. These are people born in the post-war years between 1945 and 1965. However, the baby boomers have already reached retirement age or are about to do so. This large number of skilled workers will be missing from the labour market in the coming years, indeed we are already feeling this now, and must be replaced by rapid developments and innovations. At the same time, future pensioners and retirees are increasingly dependent on good health care and social services. The digitalisation of the health sector and telemedicine is a good way to provide social security for the ageing population and ensure adequate health care for all. The EU also points this out in its EU Global Health Strategy. While the established industrialised nations of Western Europe react cautiously to this important topic, the Eastern European EU members and candidates are open to new developments, as the demand from no less than three countries from the Balkan region for the QluPod health monitor impressively proves.

Desire for growth and modernisation.

The desire for growth and modernisation is one of the reasons why Eastern European countries are increasingly applying for membership in the European Union (EU). The countries are ready to embark on a modern future. At present, backward and ailing systems often still prevail, but they are to be renewed quickly. The new European states do not want to repeat the mistakes of the established industrial nations and want to spare themselves some detours on the way to a modern and efficient society. One of the avoidable mistakes is digitalisation that is too slow or postponed. This also applies to the health sector, which can make significant progress through telemedicine. More and more elderly and very old people need to be cared for in the EU states. In addition to the financial challenges to the pension system, medical care also plays an important role. Especially in countries with an inadequate infrastructure, telemedicine is an important factor on the way to a welfare state for all inhabitants. The EU candidates and new members from Eastern Europe have recognised this and are therefore implementing corresponding decisions from Brussels faster and more consistently than many of their neighbours from Western Europe.

Economic Aspects: Taxes and costs.

In Central Europe, income taxes of up to 50 % are the norm. In the Balkan states, on the other hand, the tax rate is often between 10 % and 30 %. With the lower revenues, the EU candidates and Eastern European countries have to drive economic and social development as cost-effectively as possible. While the industrialised countries often rely on ever new taxes, thus burdening the economy and the population, the new European states instead introduce modern technology and digitalisation. In doing so, the states benefit from the fact that they do not have to break up outdated structures, but can immediately implement measures proposed by the EU, such as the digitalisation of the healthcare system.

Conclusion.

It turns out that new European countries and EU aspirants have a high drive to implement EU decisions quickly. Their motivation is the desire for change, growth and modernisation, coupled with demographic change. In doing so, the states can learn from the mistakes of long-standing members and spare themselves tedious “trial-and-error” phases. By focusing on efficiency and cost control, rapid progress is made despite a less developed infrastructure. As a result, New European countries are making rapid progress in the digitisation of healthcare and other areas, and may even overtake some established states from Western Europe.

Nikola Trajanov