According to its work programme, a genuine Public Health Union is one of the priorities of the French Presidency of the EU Council (FPEU). The European Commission wants to continue the debate on this issue, but also to finalise the legislative package “Building a Europe of Health”, which was presented in November 2020 by the Commission (see EUROPE 12600/24).
The FPEU is keen to continue the interinstitutional negotiations on the proposed regulation pertaining to serious cross-border health threats, which forms part of the package.
It will also organise a ministerial conference on 18 January on the resilience of health systems.
In order to lend weight to the EU in terms of health, the FPEU is also focusing on an industrial strategy in this area. It provides support, for example, for the idea of an important project of common European interest (IPCEI) in the field of health. It would strengthen “the EU’s strategic positioning in this sector by fostering innovation in the different segments of health industries”, says the FPEU work programme. The European Commission will be organising a conference on this subject over the coming months.
In addition, France will continue to work on the European Health Data Space and is planning a conference dedicated to the same subject on 2 February.
The prevention and fight against cancer, antibiotic resistance, and the mental health of young vulnerable people are all subjects that France wants to address during its Presidency of the EU Council and subjects upon which it will hold conferences.
The establishment of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and in particular the negotiations over the draft regulation determining the measures that will apply at a European level in the future to respond to transboundary health emergencies (see EUROPE 12845/21) occupy the FPEU, which notes its support for the establishment of HERA.
Covid-19
With regard to the Covid-19 pandemic in particular, the FPEU has emphasised its ambition to maintain close EU-wide coordination.
In terms of mobility, it notes that restrictions must be based on objective criteria and must not disproportionately hamper free movement within the EU.
Vaccination protection is also essential for the FPEU, who wants to promote this through two main areas. Firstly, it wants to consolidate European vaccine production capacity. Secondly, it “will ensure that international solidarity efforts are pursued, particularly with regard to Africa” in respect of access to Covid-19 vaccines, notably through the Covax mechanism.
See the FPEU work programme (in French): https://bit.ly/3EOfJcZ (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)