Boosting the Count of EU Citizens within the EU Jurisdiction, according to the Commission.
Strengthening the European Health Union: A Proposed Response to COVID-19
In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed the establishment of a stronger European Health Union. This union aims to enhance Europe's ability to respond effectively to health emergencies and crises, with a historically large and strategic Multiannual Financial Framework of €2 trillion for the years 2028-2034.
The proposed budget will fund health, defense, energy, and other crucial sectors, enabling better preparedness for future health crises. A key aspect of this budget and policy framework is the investment in recovery and resilience, including the strengthening of health systems across member states. While detailed health-specific measures are not directly outlined, von der Leyen’s overall approach reflects commitments to health security.
One of the key steps in this plan is increased financing and strategic budgeting. This involves the allocation of funds to health and other sectors, allowing the EU to respond more effectively to crises, including health emergencies like pandemics. The budget aims to enhance Europe's ability to act independently and robustly in health security.
Another important aspect is the rule of law and accountability. Funding and initiatives within the Health Union framework, as well as broadly across EU policies, are tied to compliance with the rule of law to ensure responsible spending and effective governance.
Von der Leyen also advocates for a more integrated Europe, akin to a federal union, supporting deeper cooperation among member states on core issues, including health policies. This would enable a unified response in future crises.
In addition, strategic stockpiles are needed to address shortages in supply chains, especially for pharmaceutical products. The powers of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will be strengthened and expanded to better address health emergencies.
Moreover, von der Leyen has plans to host a global health summit under the Italian G20 presidency next year. The EU4Health program must be future-proof and better funded to support these initiatives. The first lessons from the current crisis must be drawn to implement the proposed Health Union.
Europe has accomplished more together than ever before during the pandemic, but many tasks were completed without full EU competence. Von der Leyen's plans for a stronger European Health Union aim to address this issue and ensure a more coordinated and effective response to future health emergencies.
[1] European Commission, "State of the Union 2021: A Union that delivers – for our people," Speech by President Ursula von der Leyen, 15 September 2021. [2] European Commission, "Commission proposes €2 trillion budget for 2028-2034 to fund health, defence, energy and other crucial sectors," Press release, 14 September 2021. [4] European Commission, "President von der Leyen's speech at the European Parliament plenary session," Speech, 15 September 2021.
- The European Health Union, proposed by President Ursula von der Leyen, aims to improve Europe's response to medical-conditions like chronic diseases, cancers, respiratory-conditions, digestive-health issues, and eye-health problems, among others.
- The budget for the European Health Union will not only focus on health crises but also extend to fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, skin-conditions, and neurological-disorders, all part of overall health-and-wellness.
- The Health Union framework will allocate funds for therapies-and-treatments, including autoimmune-disorders and cardiovascular-health, to ensure better health systems across member states.
- Strategic stockpiles will be established to address supply chain shortages, particularly for pharmaceutical products related to medical-conditions.
- The capabilities of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will be strengthened to handle health emergencies more effectively.
- Von der Leyen plans to host a global health summit under the Italian G20 presidency next year, where discussions on these health-related matters can be further explored.
- In addition to the proposed EU4Health program, investments in cbd, a potential therapeutic agent for various health issues, might be considered as part of the European Health Union's initiatives.
- To support these plans, increased financing for the EU4Health program is essential to ensure its future-proof nature and consistency with Von der Leyen’s vision for a comprehensive European Health Union.
- Von der Leyen's proposals aim to overcome the limitations of the initial COVID-19 response by establishing a more coordinated and effective European Health Union, enabling the EU to better respond to health emergencies in the future.
