EU 2024 Elections: 10 priorities to secure health on the political agenda

The EU4Health Civil Society Alliance, gathering more than 30 health civil society organisations, has defined its priorities and recommendations ahead of the upcoming European elections in 2024, with the overarching goal of securing health on the EU political agenda. The manifesto gathers 10 key priorities, focusing on strengthening EU policymaking in public health, delivering stronger policies improving public health, and breaking policy silos: 

1. The EU should scale up action to promote public, physical and mental health, prevention, and equity by establishing a dedicated Vice-President in the European Commission and providing health with a space and legislative powers in the European Parliament. 
2. Health promotion and prevention should have a budget allocated at the EU level and be reflected in investments and economic discourse. 
3. Through the adoption of a Civil Society Strategy, the EU should develop mechanisms for stronger co-creation of policies, programmes and services, that allow for real empowerment of people and communities, including patient engagement. 
4. The EU should support and enable civil society space at the EU level and increase the participation of CSOs in policymaking across health and other sectors by ensuring dedicated funding mechanisms. 
5. The EU must urgently address the dire challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through a coherent framework for prevention and action. 
6. EU action should focus on addressing and eliminating health inequalities, eradicating discrimination, and promoting equal access to health and care. 
7. EU policies improving care for patients and strengthening healthcare systems should promote holistic, person-centred and integrative health care. 
8. The EU should establish a true European Health Union. 
9. The EU must develop overarching actions fostering health-enabling environments. 
10. The EU should ensure that all policies consider impacts on mental health, physical health, and wellbeing. 

MEPs: Sign our pledge!

We are calling on all candidates for the European elections to commit to strengthening EU policymaking in public health, delivering solid and inclusive policies that allow the improvement of public health across Europe. Read the full pledge below and sign it to become a supporter of a strong European Health Union! 

If elected as Member of the future European Parliament, I pledge to:

• Ensure that health is placed as a priority on the EU political agenda. I will strive for the appointment of a dedicated Commission Vice-President, the provision of a dedicated space and legislative power for health in the European Parliament, and the allocation of an ambitious EU budget for health. 
• Advocate for an inclusive governance framework with mechanisms and dedicated sustainable funding that foster strong participation and meaningful contribution of civil society to health policymaking.  
• Commit to stronger EU policies improving health promotion and prevention, and addressing public health challenges through a holistic, person- and patient-centred approach. 
• Commit to EU action that focuses on addressing and eliminating health inequalities, eradicating discrimination, and promoting equal access to health and care. 
• Commit to implementing, strengthening and deepening the European Health Union, expanding EU competence and granting stronger strategic leadership in public health to the EU. 
• Ensure that all EU policies consider impacts on health and wellbeing, as well as health equity through a holistic approach. 
• Commit to overarching actions fostering health-enabling environments that tackle modifiable risk factors and health determinants through an integrated and holistic approach.