Insights from the Commission work programme 2026
The Commission work programme for 2026 was adopted 21 October. Notably, health features only minimally in the text.
Under the “Health” section, just one item is listed: the Global Health Resilience Initiative (due in Q2). The evaluation of the tobacco control legislative framework (also Q2) will be of interest, too.
Is this a cause for concern or a pause?
The intense legislative period in health policy appears to be winding down, once major proposals on pharmaceuticals, critical medicines, tobacco taxation, and health emergency preparedness and response complete their journey through the legislative process. The focus of EU health policymakers over the next two years should be on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034. The MFF will determine which health-related activities are feasible and how they will be shaped in the future EU.
Implementation and cross-sectoral collaboration
Equally important is the ongoing work to implement the recently adopted European Health Data Space (EHDS), a decade-long initiative that is only beginning. Early efforts are already underway in cybersecurity, underscoring the need for cross-sectoral collaboration.
As in the past, much of the EU’s health agenda will continue to be driven by funding programmes such as EU4Health, Horizon Europe, and Digital Europe. These have been instrumental in supporting initiatives like the cancer programme and will also fund future efforts on non-communicable diseases.
Finally, the Directive on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare—though less visible—remains a potential catalyst for new activities. It has already paved the way for landmark regulations like the EHDS and Health Technology Assessment (HTA), proving that the broad impact of EU legislation.
The Commission’s work programme can be found here.
What do you think? Do we have a strategic pause or an end of the EU health policy? How will the European Health Union turn out to be?
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