The vote in the European Parliament Committee on the EU4Health action programme for health was postponed on Monday 12 October, by one day, due to technical problems. MEPs will vote on the amendments on 13 October and the following day on the final report. This change should have no effect on the content of the report, namely the maintenance of the financial envelope of €9.37 billion.
Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission had proposed at the end of May to politically and financially strengthen the future health programme (see EUROPE 12494/5). However, European decision-makers had put a brake on this momentum by drastically limiting the allocated funding (see EUROPE 12533/5, 12566/6).
The compromise amendments prepared by Cristian-Silviu Buşoi (EPP, Romania) maintain the Commission's original ambition and suggest drawing this money from the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027. They also propose to increase from 25%, as proposed by the Commission, to 30% the expenditure supporting the climate goals to which the EU4Health programme should contribute.
The compromise amendments, which are expected to be endorsed by the Parliament's main political groups, do, however, revise some of the Commission's costly ambitions, such as the establishment of a European emergency pharmacy. But they still opt for the establishment of a European Health Response Mechanism (EHRM) “to respond to all types of health problems and crises and to strengthen operational coordination at European level” or a centralised database on medication shortages.
MEPs want to be partners
Another major change is the European Parliament's power of scrutiny. As is often the case, the aim is to replace, in the Commission text, implementing acts by delegated acts, over which MEPs have a right of scrutiny.
MEPs also say that the creation of the “EU4Health Steering Group”, supported by Member States, should be composed of 20 independent experts such as “representatives of the European Parliament, independent health experts and patient representatives”. These experts, they add, should be appointed by the Commission on consultation with the Parliament.
For the rest, the compromise amendments focus on the main priorities of the moment, such as the fight against cancer by proposing the establishment of a European Institute against Cancer. They also suggest, which Poland is not expected to like, that the programme should support Member States' actions to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services.
Other surprises may also emerge from the uncompromised amendments. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)