Doctors, nurses, health and care workers warn EU: don’t scrap EU4Health
The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) and the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) say the Commission’s plan to fold it into a broad European Competitiveness Fund would be a serious setback.
EU4Health has funded crisis response, digital tools, cancer prevention and projects to tackle health and care workforce shortages. Weakening or removing this dedicated programme would undermine Europe’s preparedness for future crises and deepen existing problems such as staff shortages, rising costs and growing demand. It would risk eroding access to care and public trust in EU institutions.
The three organisations call on the European Parliament and the Council to reject cuts to EU4Health, keep it as a ring-fenced programme and prioritise long-term investment in Europe’s health and care workforce.
“Putting health into a ‘competitiveness’ pot is a dangerous mistake,” says Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU General Secretary. “Health goes far beyond competitiveness - it is Europe’s social and economic foundation and deserves a strong, reliable and dedicated EU budget.”
“The health of Europeans is not merely a factor of competitiveness, but the foundation of our entire society,” says Dr Ole Johan Bakke, CPME President. “A healthier Europe is a stronger, more united, and ultimately more competitive Europe.”
“By not investing in the nursing workforce, policymakers are missing a key opportunity to improve resilience and economic growth at a time of great uncertainty,” says Paul De Raeve, EFN Secretary General. “It is key for policymakers to recognise this and stop any downsizing of EU funding for healthcare in the next MFF.”
Notes for editors:
The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) is the largest European federation representing over 260 national trade unions and uniting 8 million members across the Pan-European region. The majority of EPSU’s members work in the health and social services sector. EPSU is the recognised European Social Partner in six European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees, including those for health, hospitals, and social services. At the EU level, EPSU is a member organisation of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), and at the global level, it serves as the regional representative of Public Services International (PSI).
The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) represents national medical associations across Europe. We are committed to contributing to the medical profession’s point of view to EU institutions and European policy-making through pro-active cooperation on a wide range of health and healthcare-related issues.
The European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) was established in 1971. The EFN represents over 36 National Nurses Associations and its work has an effect on the daily work of 3 million nurses throughout the European Union and 6 million in Europe. The EFN is the independent voice of the nursing profession, and its mission is to strengthen the status and practice of the profession of nursing for the benefit of the health of the citizens and the interests of nurses in the EU and Europe.