The European Parliament adopted by 631 votes to 32, with 34 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a Programme for the Union's action in the field of health – for the period 2021-2027 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 282/2014 (EU4Health Programme).
The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the Commission's proposal as follows:
Programme’s objectives
The programme would be established for the period of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and would complement Member States' policies, with a view to improving human health throughout the Union and ensuring a high level of human health protection in all EU policies and activities. It should promote actions in areas where there is EU added value.
In line with the ‘One Health’ approach, the programme should:
- improve and foster health in the Union to reduce the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, by supporting health promotion and disease prevention, by reducing health inequalities, by fostering healthy lifestyles and by promoting access to healthcare;
- protect people in the Union from serious cross-border threats to health and strengthening the responsiveness of health systems and coordination among the Member States in order to cope with serious cross-border threats to health;
- improve the availability, accessibility and affordability of medicinal products and medical devices, and crisis-relevant products in the Union, and support innovation regarding such products;
- strengthen health systems by improving their resilience and resource efficiency, in particular through: (i) supporting integrated and coordinated work between Member States; (ii) promoting the implementation of best practices and promoting data sharing; (iii) reinforcing the healthcare workforce; (iv) tackling the implications of demographic challenges; and (v) advancing digital transformation.
Supporting actions
In order to achieve these objectives, Parliament insisted, inter alia, on:
- supporting actions to: (i) prevent disease, including reducing health damage from illicit drug use and addiction, (ii) end health inequalities, (iii) improve surveillance, diagnosis and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases, in particular cancer and paediatric cancer, and (v) improve mental health;
- improving health crisis management, in particular through the coordination, provision and deployment of emergency health resources, information exchange, surveillance and coordination of voluntary testing of national health care systems
- encouraging sustainable production and supply chains and innovation in the EU;
- promoting the safe use of medicines, in particular antimicrobials, and actions to support the development of environmentally friendly medicines;
- the establishment, in synergy with other EU instruments, of a structure and training resources for a reserve of medical, nursing and support staff assigned voluntarily by Member States and ready to be mobilised in the event of a health crisis;
- support for the creation of a European Health Data Space;
- support for global commitments and health initiatives.
Budget
It is proposed that the financial envelope for the implementation of the programme for the period 2021-2027 be set at EUR 2 446 000 000 in current prices. This amount would be increased by an additional allocation of EUR 2 900 000 000 in 2018 prices.
The distribution of the amounts should respect the following criteria:
- a minimum of 20 % for health promotion and disease prevention actions;
- a maximum of 12.5 % for procurement complementing national stockpiling of essential crisis-relevant products at EU level;
- a maximum of 12.5 % to support global commitments and health initiatives;
- a maximum of 8 % to cover administrative expenses.
Grants
Grants paid by the Union should not exceed 60 % of eligible costs for an action relating to an objective of the Programme or for the functioning of a non-governmental body. In cases of exceptional utility, the contribution by the Union may be up to 80 % of eligible costs.
Actions with a clear EU added value should be considered to have exceptional utility, in particular, where at least 30 % of the budget of the proposed action is allocated to Member States whose GNI per inhabitant is less than 90 % of the Union average.
Governance
To achieve coherent implementation of the programme's actions, an EU Health Steering Group would be established.
The Commission should consult relevant stakeholders, including representatives of civil society and patient organisations, to seek their views on the priorities and strategic orientations of the annual work programme.
Each year, the Commission should present to the European Parliament the results of the work of the EU Health Steering Group and the stakeholder consultations.