Integrating health law and health policy: a European perspective.

Health law is intended to create an environment in which the promotion of health goes hand in hand with the protection of individual rights and the general principles of equality and justice. Over the years, the importance of health law has grown, both at national and international level. As health and human rights are closely interlinked, it is important to integrate health law and health policy. It is to be expected that, especially in Europe, the impact of health law on health policy-making will increase as a result of several developments, e.g. the internationalization of health care and health policy, the issue of consumer protection and the legalization of society. This requires a strategy to stimulate the fruitful relationship between health policy and health law. The most important components of this strategy are discussed.