U.S Executive Order to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO)
The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO. The Presidential Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed…
Improving cross-border access to EU health data: EU Council adopts EHDS regulation
The European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation aims to improve individuals’ access to and control over their personal electronic health data, while…
European Health Union: Action to address nurse shortages shows positive impact
The EU Commission is launching the first EU action to support Member States in retaining and attracting nurses, with a…
EMA recommended 114 new medicines and 46 new active substances for approval in 2024
The Agency recommended, among others, the first medicine to treat early Alzheimer’s disease, the first needle-free and smaller form of…
EMA publishes revised rules on handling of competing interests
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published the revised version of its policies on the handling of competing interests of…
Healthcare cyberattacks: EU Commission proposes prevention and protection
Today, the EU Commission presented an EU action plan aimed at bolstering the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers. This…
Public health emergencies: EU Commission launches advisory group
The new Advisory Committee for Public Health Emergencies has held its first in-person meeting in Luxembourg. The Committee was set…
EU JRC: Setting out a roadmap for standardisation of organ-on-chip technology
Organ-on-chip (OoC) is an integration of biotechnology with micro-fluidic chips and sensors to build miniaturised versions of human organs, such…
EU Medicines Agency on new EU rules for health technology assessments
The regulation is an important step forward in accelerating and widening access to new medicines. In the European Union (EU),…
Patient access to innovation: New EU rules on Health Technology Assessment
On 12 January, the Regulation on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) will become applicable, bringing a significant improvement in ensuring that innovative and effective…
Netherlands: Rijnstate and EIB agree European loan for hospital modernisation
At a signature ceremony in Arnhem today, Rijnstate hospital and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have agreed a €90 million…
ECHA adds 40 hazardous chemicals to PIC: Exporters can start notifying authorities
From 1 March 2025, EU exporters are required to notify their intention to export 40 additional hazardous chemicals. This requirement…
Clinical research and digitization: EIB provides €35m in financing to GVM Group
GVM will use EIB financing to develop medical technologies, carry out clinical research and strengthen digital infrastructure. The operation is…
Perchlorate in food: EFSA’s draft scientific opinion for public consultation
EFSA is launching a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion concerning the public health risks associated with perchlorate in food.
EU Commission adopts ban on Bisphenol A in food contact materials
The Commission today adopted a ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in Food Contact Materials, due to its…
Avian influenza: Increased spread in poultry-dense areas at end 2024
While there continues to be no evidence of human-to-human spread of avian influenza, new outbreaks in wild and domestic birds…
ECDC: Epidemiological update on respiratory infections in EU-EEA
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has just published an epidemiological update on the respiratory virus situation…
ECHA raises concerns over certain aromatic brominated flame retardants
A European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) investigation found that use of non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame-retardant additives pollutes the environment due to…
Hazardous chemicals: Substances containing benzene dominate import and export
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has evaluated data from Member States and found that imports of hazardous chemicals decreased by…
Transport noise: More than 500,000 children’s reading skills impaired in Europe
More than one out of five Europeans are exposed to harmful long-term noise from road, rail and air transport. Published…
Healthcare workforce: Can Europe cope with the aging population up to 2071
If current disease prevalence remains constant, doctor and nurse numbers would need to grow by 30% and 33% respectively by…
EFSA Consultation on draft risk assessment of fluoride in food and drinking water
EFSA is publicly consulting on our draft assessment of the potential risks from ingestion of fluoride from drinking water, the…
New rules enter into force to ensure safer use of chemicals on EU market
Today, new rules on classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP) enter into force to better protect consumers, workers and the environment, while…
New rules come into force to ensure healthier air quality across the EU
Today, stricter European air quality standards come into force. Member States now have two years to incorporate them into their…
EFSA and ECDC on zoonotic diseases in the EU: Listeriosis cases hit highest levels since 2007
In 2023, listeriosis cases reached their highest level since 2007, while campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis remained the most frequently reported zoonotic…
EEA: Health and environment impact of air pollution remains high across Europe
Nearly 240,000 deaths annually in the European Union are linked to exposure to fine particulate matter, a major air pollutant,…
Antimicrobial resistance: EU Commission signs second HERA Invest agreement
The EU Commission's Health Emergency and Response Authority (HERA), signed a €20 million HERA Invest agreement with the Danish biotech company SNIPR…
EEA finds “forever chemicals” above thresholds in many European water bodies
Concerns about pollution caused by "forever chemicals" (PFAS ) have increased in many European countries. But comprehensive monitoring data are…
Gavi Pledging Summit to be co-hosted by the EU and the Gates Foundation
The European Union and the Gates Foundation, with the close support of other Gavi donors and implementing countries, will co-host…
Fashion Policy Roundtable: Speech by EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall
"Our European clothing and textiles industry generated around 170 billion euros in turnover last year, providing livelihoods for over a million…
EU Commission clears creation of joint venture by Patient Square and Carlyle
The European Commission has approved the creation of a joint venture, Coding Solutions Topco Inc. (“CorroHealth”), by Patient Square Capital…
EFSA update on African Swine Fever: Fences alone do not prevent the spread
New insights from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reveal that while fences can help control the spread of African…
Main results of the EU Health Council, 3 December 2024
EU health ministers discussed smoke- and aerosol-free environments, the pharmaceutical package, cardiovascular health, organ donation and transplantation, and the European…
Cardiovascular diseases: EU Health Council calls for more robust prevention efforts
The Council is calling for more robust efforts to help prevent cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in…
Smoke and aerosols: EU Health Ministers recommend increased protection
The EU Council has adopted a recommendation that will help reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and aerosols and achieve a tobacco-free generation in…
Compliance of safety data sheets: Agency ECHA sees “room for improvement”
An EU-wide project of ECHA’s Enforcement Forum found that 35 % of the checked safety data sheets (SDS) were non-compliant.…
Ranking of top flavours in 2023: EU spice import statistics
In 2023, the EU imported 339,800 tonnes of spices from extra-EU countries. China was the largest supplier of spices, accounting…
COVID-19 treatment: Europe’s HERA signs joint procurement contract
Today, the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has signed a joint procurement framework contract with the…
European Shortages Monitoring Platform enables better monitoring of shortages in the EU
The European Shortages Monitoring Platform (ESMP) has gone live with a core set of functionalities. Using this first version of…
Plastics pollution: Talks continue in South Korea to clinch global deal
Talks began in Busan, South Korea, on Monday aiming to clinch a legally binding deal on plastics pollution, led by…
Heat impact on health: More than half of the EEA countries take action
The European Environment Agency's briefing 'Impacts of heat on health' presents a first state of play on national surveillance for heat-related health impacts. Collecting…
Food labels may fool EU consumers – ECA Special Report
Consumers can easily get lost in a maze of food labels, EU auditors warn in a report published today. Food…
Plastic pollution: EU committed to concluding a global agreement
The EU Commission is participating in the final negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) from 25 November until 1 December in…
EU Auditors on digitizing healthcare: Use of EU funds difficult to establish
Over 14 years, the EU planned to allocate at least €16 billion for healthcare digitalisation—yet accessing these funds proved challenging…
European Cancer Summit: Keynote speech by EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides
"Member States and stakeholders are now also working together to improve and extend cancer screening programmes across the EU with…
Forever-chemicals PFAS: ECHA and five European countries issue restrictions update
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and authorities from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have released a progress update…
ECDC: More efforts needed to meet EU targets to reduce antimicrobial resistance
Data published by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in connection with European Antibiotic Awareness Day shows that,…
EU Commission and OECD report on healthy ageing and health workforce shortages
Today, the Commission and the OECD published the "Health at a Glance: Europe 2024" report. This year's edition highlights the importance of lifelong health…
Saccharin: EFSA increases safety threshold
EFSA has concluded that saccharin is safe for human consumption and increased the acceptable daily intake (ADI) from 5 to…
Genome of Europe launched: First step towards a European reference genome
The Genome of Europe (GoE) project got under way, with the ambition to build a European reference genome that will…