Speech by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at the High-Level Conference on the Future EU Health Union

Deputy Prime Ministers Vandenbroucke and Dvořáček,

Minister Sikkut,

Secretaries of State Steffan and Kordež, ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to join you today to discuss the future of the European Health Union. Let me begin by thanking the Belgian Presidency for gathering us here at the beautiful Musee des Beaux-Arts – and for shining an important spotlight on health throughout its Presidency. But before looking to the future, I want to take a step back for a moment.

In 2019, I received an ambitious mission letter from President von der Leyen. It was a blueprint for action that reflected the political ambition and the personal determination to improve health and well-being across the EU. I’m proud to say that since 2019, we have translated that ambition into concrete deliverables.

Today, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is making a real difference to cancer patients and cancer care. Negotiations are on-going to deliver a game-changing reform of the EU’s 20-year-old pharmaceutical legislation. And I was delighted that a political agreement was reached recently between the European Parliament and the European Health Data Space to boost research, empower citizens, and maximise the potential of e-health.

Of course – this mandate has turned out to be even more challenging – and even more ambitious – than we expected. Only a month after this Commission began its term, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The pandemic taught us some harsh lessons. But the most powerful was also the simplest – we are stronger together. We can achieve great things when the EU and Member States work together as Team Europe.

With the EU Vaccines Strategy, for example, we made lifesaving COVID vaccines available to all citizens and Member States at the same time. This was an historic moment and it showed that this was a Union that delivers for all of its citizens, equally.

It also showed us very clearly that business as usual was no longer an option. We learned those lessons and we listened to citizens, and we responded with concrete action. In November 2020, we presented our vision for a strong European Health Union in which Member States prepare for and respond together to health crises.

Where essential and innovative medicines are available at all times. And where every citizen can access the best standards of treatment and care.

The creation of the Health Emergency and Preparedness Authority is of course an essential part of that. Today, thanks to this effort and thank to the support of Member States and the European Parliament, the EU is in a better place to prevent and tackle pandemics and emerging health threats.

But we’re not finished yet. It was clear that we needed to reverse the chronic underfunding of our healthcare systems. Good health is an investment – and Member States are being given the necessary funds to build more sustainable and more resilient health systems.

Overall spending on healthcare-related measures, which Member States have committed to through their national Recovery and Resilience Plans, amounts to over 40 billion euros.

This Commission has also put forward the EU4Health programme – an ambitious EU funding programme with enormous potential to deliver real change.

The European Health Union is built on six pillars.

1. The first two refer to Health Security: We have a stronger cooperation framework on serious cross-border threats through a revised Regulation. And we have adapted mandates to our specialised health agencies, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the European Medicines Agency.
2. We have also created HERA, the EU’s Health Emergency and Preparedness and Response Authority which has continuously delivered concrete results to support all Member States
3. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is the third pillar. This is a political priority for the Commission as a whole and a personal mission for me. Four years into this Plan, we have new screening guidelines, a new Knowledge Centre on Cancer, a first ever EU Cancer Inequalities Registry, and an EU Network for Youth Cancer Survivors — and there is much more to come.
4. The fourth pillar – A Health Union cannot exist with first- and second-class patients when it comes to access to medicines. This is why we proposed a historic reform of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislation, after twenty years, to create a true Single Market for medicines, to ensure universal access for patients and to promote a thriving pharma industry. Next month we will launch a “Critical Medicines Alliance” – which will contribute to coordinated action at EU level to prevent shortages of medicines.
5. The digitalisation of health is the fifth pillar. A game changing European Health Data Space that will harness the full potential of the digital transition for the health of our citizens. This is a bold new framework that will give patients full control of their own health data, backed by the highest standards of privacy and data protection. This data will help scientists, academics, and industry to develop the next groundbreaking and lifechanging medicines.
6. And the sixth pillar – The comprehensive approach to Mental Health, which we presented last year, aims to break the stigma around mental health and make a positive difference to every citizen, with a special focus on young people. I also want to thank the Belgian Presidency for its focus on mental health. We are navigating an era of complex, overlapping and interlinked crises. It is very clear that the greatest challenges facing us – from climate change to the increasing threat of anti-microbial resistance – are shared ones. They do not respect borders and we can only meet them if we work together with a One Health approach.

In response, we have come together as Team Europe, the institutions and Member States, and pooled our resources and expertise — showing clearly that we are a geopolitical Commission. Our support for Ukraine in the area of health is a powerful example. More than two years have passed since Russia’s unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Since then, hospitals in the EU have received more than 3000 patients from Ukraine as part of our medical evacuation system.

Another example – we have donated hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines to partners globally. COVID-19 reminded us just how small our world really is. We need to strengthen global governance, preparedness and response mechanisms so that the world as a whole is prepared for health emergencies.

These principles lie at the heart of our EU Global Health Strategy, our vision for leadership and cooperation on global health for the next ten years. This is why we are committed to a successful outcome of the negotiations of a pandemic agreement and amended International Health Regulations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The European Health Union is an ambitious vision for EU efforts in the area of health, backed by concrete action, stronger coordination and greater solidarity. It maximises the potential of EU Member States and it prioritises the needs of citizens across the EU.

It will be one of this Commission’s lasting legacies. With the continued support of Member States and partners, it has the potential to break even more new ground in the area of health. So if we continue to prioritise health and health systems. If we listen to citizens. And if we truly collaborate. Then we can turn this potential and this vision into concrete benefits for Europe and its citizens. And together, we can build a healthier, more resilient and more equal Europe for everyone.