During the plenary session 8-11 March, MEPs debated and cast their final vote on the €5.1 billion EU4Health programme budget for 2021-2027.
The provisional agreement reached with the Council was endorsed with 631 votes in favour, 32 against and 34 abstentions.
The aim of the new EU4Health programme is to make EU health systems more resilient, address cross-border health threats and make medicines and medical devices more available, accessible and affordable.
The EOC EU Office is pleased to see that, through its own efforts, physical activity has been included in the wording of the text and is considered a cause worth supporting Member States’ actions, under Article 12 (Annex 1):
- (c) Supporting Member States’ actions to put in place healthy and safe urban, work and school environments, to enable healthy life choices, to promote healthy diets and regular physical activity, taking into account the needs of vulnerable groups at every stage of their life, with the aim of promoting life-long health;
MEPs welcomed this ‘historically strong and comprehensive health strategy’ and, in particular, are pleased to see that it is ten times bigger than the previous programmes. This clearly demonstrates that the protection of health of citizens is at the forefront of the EU agenda.
Following the plenary session this week, the formal adoption of the agreed text by Council will complete the legislative process.