The new Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in health held its inaugural meeting on 24 January. The 14 experts, nominated in November 2016, regularly come together to help the Commission in its efforts towards evidence-based policy-making in the field of health. More broadly they also advise on the EU agenda for effective, accessible and resilient health systems.

On this occasion, Professor Jan De Maeseneer, Head of Department Family Medicine and Primary Health Care at Ghent University, was unanimously elected the Chair of the Expert Panel for the next 18 months.

His election marks the beginning of the new term of office of the Expert Panel, which will last until September 2019.

The Panel is now ready to start its work and to this effect, the first three mandates for the Expert Panel's Opinions were also discussed. This year's work will focus on the following mandates:

1. Innovative payment models for high-cost innovative medicines
2. Benchmarking access to healthcare in the EU
3. Tools and methodologies for assessing the performance of primary care