Leaked budget plans spark fears for EU health funding

The European Commission isn't expected to present its proposal for the next seven-year EU budget until June, but leaked early blueprints seen by Euronews suggesting the health portion could be merged have triggered concerns within the sector.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU member states allocated €5.3 billion under the EU4Health programme, a significant step considering that health policy is largely considered a national competence.

The leaked draft of an EU budget restructuring plan, seen by Euronews, suggests that health funding could be consolidated into a single European Competitiveness Fund designed to enhance the bloc's strategic autonomy and values.

The restructuring - which has been discussed more broadly within the Commission’s budget service since January - aims to address a perceived lack of strategic direction by prioritising policies over specific programmes.

Under this plan, some of the EU's most famous programs such as the bloc’s research fund Horizon Europe, as well as those dedicated to space, digital, and obviously health would be merged – leading to a unified set of rules for participation and eligibility despite the existing differences among the programs.

Back to living off crumbs?

Although still in the early stages of internal consultation – and probably circulated to gauge reactions – the leaked plan has already sparked debate.

Green MEP Tilly Metz voiced concerns that merging health funding into a broader competitiveness fund increases the risk, already experienced in the recent past, of “shifting resources away from health for other purposes.”

This concern is rooted in recent budget cuts, such as the reallocation of roughly €1 billion from EU4Health to partially fund Ukraine’s aid package in February.

Metz also warned that the shift toward a competitiveness-focused fund could undermine long-term health initiatives.

“Health isn’t just about developing innovative medications; it’s also about public health, prevention, and awareness,” she said, stressing that these vital areas could be neglected in favour of economic priorities.

Before EU4Health, health stakeholders had to make do with far smaller budgets: From 2014 to 2020, the EU’s health programme had a total budget of just €450m, significantly lower than the current EU4Health fund.

The EU4Health programme has so far supported a range of initiatives, including a recent €1.3m project aimed at addressing Europe’s nursing shortage by promoting the profession in member states experiencing the most severe shortages.

Own resources and regions

Many fear that EU4Health may not survive. Even Commission director-general for health Sandra Gallina recently hinted that it could be a one-time initiative.

An EU official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that merging health funding with other programmes might be the only way to preserve a substantial health budget, which otherwise faces the risk of being scrapped altogether.

Former EU Health Commissioner and current socialist MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis also expressed concerns. He argued that the current budget is insufficient, and the situation will worsen with the impending EU enlargement.

"Our only solution now is to generate our own resources, specifically for health issues, otherwise, we will not be able to move forward," he said.

A 2016 report by former Commissioner and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti proposed several new options for the EU to generate its own resources, including a CO2 levy, a corporate income tax, and a financial transaction tax. However, none of these proposals have gained significant traction since.

The debate over the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is also crucial for EU regions, which play a key role in health policy implementation and innovation.

“We must ensure that health-dedicated funding and programs are not weakened or diluted,” said Michele Calabrò from the network of regional and local health authorities Euregha.

He warned that the new model should not negatively affect key instruments like cohesion policy nor undermine multi-level governance or the important role of regional actors.