There is agreement on a healthy Europe, but with respect for domestic jurisdiction. This is essentially the position held by the EU Member States on the EU4Health programme. According to a draft text seen by EUROPE on Tuesday 22 September, the EU27 are introducing more control by the Member States, through comitology, and making cuts in expensive items, such as setting up a strategic stockpile of essential medicines.
This is a draft compromise prepared by the German EU Council Presidency for negotiations with the Parliament (whose vote in the Environment Committee has just been postponed until mid-October). This document is based on interventions by delegations at meetings of the EU Council’s working party and on written contributions from Member States.
Doing more with less
At the end of May, the European Commission had proposed to politically and financially strengthen the future health programme (see EUROPE 12494/5). But the last European Council had put the brakes on this momentum by drastically limiting the increase in European funds on the table (see EUROPE 12533/5).
This decision is reflected in the German text, which deletes all reference to the €7.7 billion from the European recovery instrument, Next Generation EU. It also reduces the programme’s share of the EU budget from €1.946 billion to €1.882 billion, subject to wider discussions on the budget.
It also limits EU co-financing to 60% of the grants, or even 80% in exceptional cases. It also removes the reference to expensive projects arising from the pandemic, such as stockpiling medications or personnel, or the need to “strengthen the health workforce”.
No question of communitisation of health
Unsurprisingly, the draft compromise reaffirms from the very first articles that EU action on health should be limited to complementing Member States’ initiatives (specific actions are set out in an annex).
The draft text, which was, moreover, the subject of a general scrutiny reservation at that stage, reorganised competences. It sets up an EU4Health Steering Group and a Programme Committee to regain state control.
In detail, it proposes that the Commission should draw up the work programme, after consultation with the Steering Group. Monitoring criteria and evaluation reports are to be adopted by means of an implementing act (comitology), which may be vetoed by the programme committee. Article 24 on delegated acts has simply been deleted.
We should also note the place reserved for the World Health Organization. Whereas the Commission proposal only refers to international institutions, the draft text recommends EU grants to relevant WHO programmes. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)