Europol has established a taskforce to tackle rising cannabis smuggling from North America and Thailand, driven by oversupply in legal markets and diversion into illicit channels. A related operation in Belgium and France led to 21 arrests over cannabis and cocaine trafficking through Brussels Airport.
The EU Council has adopted its pharma package, overhauling rules on regulatory protection, medicine availability, generics, rare diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The reform seeks to improve access to affordable medicines, strengthen security of supply and pharmaceutical competitiveness, while rewarding innovation. The package now requires EU Parliament adoption.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Niño to intensify, raising the risk of extreme heat, drought and flooding in different regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) also flags threats to food security and disease control. WMO says local forecasts must now trigger practical action to protect the most vulnerable.
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of Health & Medical Service AG (‘HMS’) by Helsana Beteiligungen AG and Schweizerische Bundesbahnen SBB, all of Switzerland. The transaction relates primarily to health services.
MEPs want an EU strategy to add at least one million healthcare workers during the 2028–2034 budget period, backed by more EU funding, fair pay, safer staffing levels and better training. Parliament also supports telemedicine and AI-assisted diagnostics while keeping face-to-face care central.
In a report adopted by 390 votes, MEPs seek a comprehensive EU women’s health strategy with measurable targets and dedicated investment. They want sex-sensitive research, more inclusive clinical trials, disaggregated data and a gender perspective in the EHDS, while warning that AI can reinforce bias in diagnosis and treatment.
The EU Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have signed a €30 million investment agreement with the company Ethris. The agreement will support the clinical development of mRNA next-generation therapeutics and vaccines addressing respiratory viruses, including those that carry pandemic potential.
More than 10 million medical procedures in the EU use radioisotopes each year, yet parts of the supply chain still depend on Russia and ageing facilities. The European Radioisotope Valley Initiative (ERVI) sets out five priorities to expand EU production, direct investment, bring innovations to patients and develop supply partnerships with the UK and US.
The EU Commission has approved €400m in German State aid for Sanofi to keep insulin production in Frankfurt-Höchst. The public-service compensation will support a new factory, minimum output and strategic stockpiles, while prioritising EEA markets during shortages.
The EU Commission’s 2026 product safety sweep found better compliance across online marketplaces, with 91% registered in the Safety Gate Portal and all providing a consumer contact point. But only 58% of reviewed listings included complete manufacturer, EU responsible-person and product identification information.
The EU Commission will carry out 144 audits and eight fact-finding visits in 2027 across food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and import controls. The programme sharply increases onsite checks in third countries and at EU border control posts, while also covering candidate countries and One Health.
EU Parliament’s employment committee calls for binding employer duties to tackle stress, burnout, harassment and other psychosocial risks. Proposed rules would require risk assessments, safeguards for algorithmic monitoring, return-to-work support and stronger protection for affected workers.
The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has signed three new contracts under the EU4Health programme, to support the actions of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA) to respond to ongoing virus outbreaks.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is urging European countries to strengthen mosquito surveillance and control as West Nile virus spreads to new regions and invasive mosquito species expand their range. By 13 August, 429 locally acquired West Nile virus cases had been reported in nine European countries.
The European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into how the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE) handles contacts with tobacco industry representatives. The case examines whether interactions were necessary and transparent and whether they complied with EU obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says the risk to the EU/EEA population remains very low after an Andes hantavirus infection was confirmed in a traveller from Argentina who visited France and Spain. Person-to-person transmission is possible but rare, while the virus’s natural rodent reservoir is not present in Europe.
The EU Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control over Oftalmología Vistahermosa, S.L. (‘Oftalvist’) by Clínica Vistahermosa Grupo HLA, S.L.U. and Sanoptis España, S.L.U., all of Spain. The transaction relates primarily to ophthalmology services and private health insurance.
The EU Commission is procuring €2.5 million in rapid molecular Ebola tests and diagnostic equipment for Africa CDC in response to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. First deliveries are due in August, while an additional agreement with the WHO is being prepared.
ECHA has begun implementing its new chemical-safety role under the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, identifying substances of concern in vehicles, preparing possible restriction proposals and assessing exemptions. The new framework aims to reduce hazardous substances while improving vehicle re-use, recycling and recovery across the EU automotive sector.
The EU Commission has allocated €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad as cholera spreads across West and Central Africa. More than 61,000 cases were reported in the WHO African Region in the first five months of 2026, with the funding targeting treatment, vaccination, surveillance, safe water and sanitation.
A preliminary EU Commission study assesses how lowering residue limits for the most hazardous pesticides in imported food and feed could affect trade, EU production and consumer prices. The impact depends heavily on whether third-country producers adapt to EU requirements, with the analysis feeding into a future impact assessment.
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