Civil society stands together for sustainable funding for health civil society
8 Sep 26
187 civil society organisations (CSOs) from across Europe and sectors are standing together in support of EU health civil society and calling for the restoration of meaningful, adequate and predictable operating grants, under EU4Health and beyond.
The statement responds to the challenging situation facing health civil society following the discontinuation of EU4Health operating grants in 2025. Operating grants provide essential, predictable support that enables organisations to represent patients and communities, contribute independent expertise and participate meaningfully in EU policymaking. For health civil society, the removal of these grants has had serious consequences including staff cuts, office closures, and significantly reduced activities.
Across Europe, CSOs are facing increasing financial pressure and a more challenging operating environment. Sustainable and transparent funding is essential to maintaining an independent, diverse and effective civil society and ensuring that it can play its full role in European democracy. As the EU prepares its next Multiannual Financial Framework, the experience of health civil society raises concerns about the precedent this could set for CSOs across sectors.
The signatories therefore join Member States and Members of the European Parliament in calling on the European Commission to restore meaningful, adequate and sustainable operating grants for EU health civil society under EU4Health in 2026 and beyond, and to translate the commitments of the EU Civil Society Strategy into concrete action.
Read the statement below and see the organisations standing in solidarity with EU health civil society.
List of signatories
- A.N.I.F. – A.P.S. Italia
- ADEPA
- Advocacy Center “Life”
- AFA Crohn RCH France
- AFVD
- AIDES
- AIDS Action Europe
- Alliance Belge pour une Société sans Tabac
- Alliance maladies rares
- Alzheimer Europe
- Amalyste
- Animal Advocacy & Food Transition
- APF France handicap
- APODEC
- APSSII – Association des Patients Souffrant du Syndrome de l’Intestin Irritable
- Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment NGO
- Asma y Alergia España (AAE)
- Asociația pentru Sprijinirea Pacienților cu Tuberculoză Multidrog Rezistentă
- Association AINP – Association d’information sur la Névralgie pudendale et les douleurs pelvi-périnéales
- Association des Brûlés de France
- Association des familles victimes du saturnisme
- ASSOCIATION DES SCLERODERMIQUES DE FRANCE
- Association Epilepsie-France
- Association FibromyalgieSOS
- Association for Culture, Education and Communication (ACEC)
- Association for Natural Medicine in Europe – ANME e.V.
- Association For Promotion Sustainable development
- Association Française Des Dysplasies Ectodermiques
- Association Française des Hémophiles
- Association Française des Polyarthritiques et des rhumatismes inflammatoires chroniques
- Association France ekbom
- Association France Spondyloarthrites & Rics
- association LA CROIX BLEUE
- Association nationale Spina Bifida et Handicaps associés
- Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL)
- Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region
- ASSOCIATION SPORT FOR ALL SUCEAVA ROMANIA
- Association Valentin HAÜY
- Associazione Medici per l’Ambiente – ISDE Italia
- autisme france
- AZUR SPORT SANTE
- BAG SELBSTHILFE
- BG Be Active (BGBA)
- BirdLife Europe & Central Asia
- Bond Beter Leefmilieu
- BRAL vzw
- BVLO vzw- LOCO
- CAN Europe
- Cancer Patients Europe (CPE)
- Catalan Institute of Oncology
- Center for Health Policies and Studies (PAS Center)
- Centre for European Volunteering
- Child rights international network
- Childhood Cancer International – Europe
- ClientEarth
- CNAO Collectif National des Associations d’obèses
- Coalition for Respiratory Health from Moldova
- COFACE Families Europe
- Compassion in World Farming
- CONCORD
- Corporate Europe Observatory
- Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network
- CyFPA
- cystic fibrosis Europe
- Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung
- Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE)
- ECCH
- En Frisk Generation
- EndoFrance
- ENDOmind France
- Epilepsie France
- EU-CORD
- EUREGHA – European Regional and Local Health Authorities
- EUROCAM
- Eurochild
- Eurodiaconia
- European AIDS Treatment Group
- Eurogroup for Animals
- EuroHealthNet
- EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition
- European Congenital Heart Disease Organisation (ECHDO)
- European Environmental Bureau
- European Food Information Council (EUFIC)
- European Health Management Association (EHMA)
- European Heart Network
- European Liver Patients’ Association – ELPA
- European ME Alliance
- European Migraine and Headache Alliance
- European Multiple Sclerosis Platform
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention
- European patients’ forum (EPF)
- European public health alliance (EPHA)
- European public health association
- European Public Service Union
- European Youth Forum
- EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe
- FEANTSA
- Fédération Française des Diabétiques
- Fédération Nationale des Amis de la Santé
- Fédération Promotion Santé
- Fédération SOS hépatites & maladies du foie
- Fédération SurdiFrance
- Fern NGO
- Fertility Europe
- FFDSB – Fédération Française pour le Don de Sang Bénévole
- FH Europe Foundation
- France Alzheimer et maladies apparentées
- France Asso Santé
- France Dystonie
- France Nature Environnement
- FRANCE PARKINSON
- FRANCE REIN OCCITANIE HERAULT
- Friends of the Earth Europe
- Fútbol Más Spain
- Global Institute for Mental Health Innovations, Networking and Development ASBL
- Greek Patients’ Association
- Health Action International (HAI)
- Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
- Health Care Plus UG – Collaborating, Coordination, Sharing & Learning
- Healthcare without harm
- Human Development Research Initiative (HDRI)
- Hungarian Alliance of Patient Organizations
- Hungarian Coeliac Society
- Hypersupers TDAH France
- ILGA-Europe
- Institute of Economic Sciences
- IPOPI, the International Patient Organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies
- ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association
- Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC)
- Kosovo Advocacy and Development Centre – KADC
- LA DENT BLEUE
- le lien
- Le Planning familial
- LHL International Tuberculosis Foundation
- Lifelong Learning Platform
- Lungs Europe
- Make Mothers Matter
- Malta Health Network
- Mental Health Europe
- National School, University and Leisure Sport Federation
- NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health
- Outdoor Against Cancer gGmbH
- Parkinson’s Europe
- PHA Europe
- Plataforma de Organizaciones de Pacientes. POP
- Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
- POLIO FRANCE
- Prescrire
- Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance
- Rare Diseases Greece
- Rauchfrei plus
- Renaloo
- REScoop.eu
- Romanian Society of Pneumology
- RREUSE
- Safe Food Advocacy Europe
- Seas At Risk
- Slovenian Coalition for Public Health, Environment and Tobacco Control
- Smoke Free Partnership
- Social Platform
- Sociatia Aer Pur Romania
- SOLIDAR
- SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health
- Sports Union of Slovenia
- Standing Committee of European Doctors
- Stichting VrouwenHart
- T&E
- TB Europe Coalition
- The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
- The Good Lobby
- Tobacco & Nicotine Free Life Coalition
- Tobacco Control Alliance of Georgia
- TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland
- Treatment Action Group
- UAFLMV
- UISP APS
- UNAPECLE
- Union d’Associations Françaises de Stomisés
- Union nationale des Associations Familiales (UNAF)
- V4Sport Foundation
- Vaincre la Mucoviscidose
- Viken idrettskrets
- Wemos
- World Duchenne Organization
- WWF EU
- www.aerzteinitiative.at
- Youth Sport Trust International