Health policy is one of the major losers in the agreement reached on the night of 20 July by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of the European Union. Only €1.67 billion remains of the €9.37 billion proposed by the Commission in the midst of the pandemic. It’s better than before, the Commission claims. An argument to which health organisations contrast with the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis.
Following some tough negotiations, the EU27 agreed on a package of €1,824 billion, of which €1.67 billion is earmarked for health under the EU's multiannual budget (see EUROPE 12532/2). Initially, the Commission proposed to add to the €7.7 billion from the new Recovery Plan (NextGenerationEU), but the Member States opposed this (see EUROPE 12494/5).
Better than today
On Tuesday 21 July, the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, welcomed “a historic step forward and an unprecedented investment in the EU's economic recovery” through the overall package.
However, with regard to health in particular, she could not hide her disappointment. “Of course, I can only be disappointed by the health outcome and I regret that the Commission's ambitious proposal to strengthen our crisis preparedness and resilience has not been maintained”, she said, sure that she would ensure that what was ultimately earmarked for health would be used to “build stronger and more resilient health systems for the future”.
EPHA disappointed
The next day, a spokesperson for the institution stressed that it was better to “start small than not to start at all”. A senior official, for their part, insisted that the agreement provided three times as much money as the current multiannual budget (2014-2020).
The budget for health in recent years amounted to €449.4 million for 7 years. Before the pandemic, the European Commission had proposed to set aside €413 million in the European Social Fund + (ESF+) for health between 2021 and 2027. “Of course, it's distressing. But you have to look at the bigger picture”, the senior official said.
However, this argument did not convince the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA). “In the quest for European unity, a high price has been paid and a unique opportunity - supported by trade unions, industry, health groups, MEPs and patients - to comprehensively address current and future challenges affecting the health and well-being of millions of people living in Europe has been lost”, the organisation said. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)