Written by Nicole Scholz (2nd edition, updated on 3.2.2021),

© Julien Eichinger / Adobe Stock

On 28 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on a new health programme (EU4Health) for 2021 to 2027. Announced as part of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) recovery instrument, according to the Commission, the EU4Health programme is intended to boost the EU’s preparedness for major cross-border health threats and improve health systems’ resilience.

EU4Health would be a stand-alone, dedicated funding programme with an originally proposed budget of €10.4 billion (in current prices). However, during the negotiations on the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) and NGEU, the budget for EU4Health was revised downwards, with the July 2020 European Council conclusions allocating the programme €1.7 billion.

On 14 December2020, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on the programme, including a budget of €5.1 billion. Stakeholders had broadly welcomed the proposal, but generally regretted the European Council’s reduction of the financial envelope allocated to it. The co-legislators’ December agreement on an increased budget was thus positively received. The first-reading vote in Parliament’s plenary on the text is expected in plenary in March.

Versions

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a Programme for the Union’s action in the field of health – for the period 2021-2027 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 282/2014 (‘EU4Health Programme’)
Committee responsible: Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) COM(2020) 405
28.5.2020
Rapporteur: Cristian-Silviu Buşoi (EPP, Romania) 2020/0102 (COD)
Shadow rapporteurs: Sara Cerdas (S&D, Portugal)
Véronique Trillet-Lenoir (Renew Europe, France)
Luisa Regimenti (ID, Italy)
Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France)
Joanna Kopcińska (ECR, Poland)
Kateřina Konečná (GUE/NGL, Czechia)
Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)
Next steps expected: First-reading vote in plenary

timeline-submitted-to-plenary