Remarks by Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Kyriakides at the press conference on the European Health Union Communication

Remarks on the European Health Union Communication

Remarks by Vice-President Schinas:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad to present you today, along with Stella, this Communication on the European Health Union. I confess it is quite an emotional thing to do, at this point when the current political cycle is ending and a new chapter will open in the next few weeks.

Recalling the start of our journey five years ago, when President von der Leyen entrusted me with the extensive portfolio under the European way of life, I confess that I couldn't have imagined that health issues would take such a pivotal stage.

After just three months in this current mandate of more or less normality, we were faced with the most unprecedented situation since 1918. The world we live in today has nothing today with the world back in 2019 with two wars in our neighbourhood. And the Covid-19 pandemic underscored in the most emphatic way the urgent need to prioritise EU in health.

In very difficult circumstances we had to immediately go beyond discussions on competences and analysis. We were tasked to deliver swift and effective solutions for citizens.

Because people were dying, the world was closing down. It was the moment when we understood how important it is to act jointly and with solidarity on health matters. It was the moment for Europe. And we did it.

With our determination, we made the European Union shift from a side actor to a main player in health matters, not only vis a vis Member States but in the global scene.

We saw a new way of dealing with health policy, from a purely internal matter to a geopolitical factor, a key part of our resilience and a condition sine qua non to build our strategic autonomy.

At this point I want to express publicly - here in front of you, the Press - my heartfelt gratitude to Stella for the extraordinary collaboration in these years. Without her dedication, we wouldn't have achieved such remarkable and substantial progress.

She was an invaluable partner.

Please allow me one sentence in Greek: Σε ευχαριστ? απ? καρδι?ς Στ?λλα! Χωρ?ς εσ?να δεν ξ?ρω αν θα τα ε?χαμε καταφ?ρει τ?σο καλ? και τ?σο γρ?γορα!

Now five years later, we have managed to transform ourselves from firefighters to architects. The European Health Union was a direct response to the pandemic's dramatic developments and the gaps it exposed in our preparedness and response. It undoubtedly constitutes our umbrella to deal with health crisis and develop modern health policies. And it is not an aspiration, but a tangible reality that we created in the last years.

This shield builds on 3 main pillars:

• 1/ A new health crisis framework, with new rules on how to prepare and decide in case of health threats, because the pandemic showed the value of coordination;
• 2/ An upgraded approach for the security of medical supply, because we want treatments to reach all citizens wherever they live in the Union, and avoid shortages of critical medicines, devices or protective equipment (like gloves and masks) ever again;
• and 3/ Modern and innovative health policies, drawing on the potential of new technologies, with landmark proposals like the Beating cancer plan, the European health data space, or the mental health strategy.

Ιt is crucial to mention that we backed this unprecedented EU action in health with the most ambitious funding programme in history, EU4Health; along with other sources, such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility or the Cohesion Policy funds.

Stella will give you more details on all that.

To close, I wish to praise the great achievements we reached together in Europe, with the European Parliament, the Member States and the Commission joining efforts in the same direction. What we did in health is the story of a European success that needs to be told again and again, especially ahead of the crucial European elections. Also on the health front we are proud to have demonstrated that Europe is the solution!

Thank you.

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Remarks by Commissioner Kyriakides:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since the pandemic health is at the top of the political agenda, where it rightly should be.

Five years ago, it was virtually unthinkable that a European Health Union could be anything more than a vision on paper. A vision some of us had, but possibly few believed was possible.

A European Health Union based on equity, on being stronger together, with patients at the heart of our every action.

In 2019 we had a very ambitious health mission letter from President von der Leyen. She identified many of the key topics that we needed to work towards to better the lives of our citizens.

These topics are now pillars in our European Health Union.

The pandemic undoubtedly defined this mandate. It tested our economies, societies and health systems to the limit. It tested our systems, it tested our personal resilience. Not only in the EU but globally.

But it also showed what we can achieve, as a Union, when we work together in True solidarity.

Our Vaccine Strategy made lifesaving vaccines available to all EU citizens, at the same time, and ensured that we are one of the world's leading exporters and donors.

This cemented the principles of equity, prevention and access that today define our Health Union.

Our Health Union has established six interconnected pillars that form the new foundations of EU health policy.

We used the lessons of the pandemic to reinforce our health agencies EMA and ECDC, create HERA and strengthen our health security cooperation framework so that the EU is not caught unprepared again by emerging health threats.

These actions also ensure that we have the means to be better prepared and put in place a robust response to protect the health of people in the EU.

To ensure equal, affordable and reliable access to medicines for all citizens, we proposed the biggest reform of EU pharmaceutical legislation in a generation.

Our ambition is to create a True Single Market for medicines while ensuring that the EU pharmaceutical sector remains a global leader.

It will incentivise more research into innovative medicines to cover unmet needs, including for children and patients suffering from rare diseases.

We are taking measures to address critical medicine shortages – including through a new Critical Medicines Alliance.

We could not continue as in the past.

Digitalisation of healthcare was another big objective from the outset.

The European Health Data Space will bring our health systems into the digital age.

Citizens will fully control their own health data and be able to use it to seek treatment across EU borders if they are traveling.

Researchers will have access to a treasure chest of data that will help to potentially unlock new and innovative treatments for the benefit of patients.

A very high political and personal priority is our work on cancer.

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan is one of the world's most ambitious and well-funded Cancer Plans.

Today, we have new screening guidelines, forthcoming recommendations to boost vaccine preventable cancers, a new Knowledge Centre on Cancer and the first EU Inequalities Registry helping us to identify where further action is most needed.

Our Cancer Plan is giving us the means to better understand, diagnose, prevent and treat cancer, which is already making a positive impact on people's lives and improving the quality of life of those with lived cancer experience.

Mental Health is another area very close to my heart.

Physical and mental health are both parts of our wellness.

Our Comprehensive Approach to Mental health finally recognises this, breaking stigma and discrimination, and investing in many different actions with over €1.2 billion from prevention to reintegration.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The COVID pandemic was a health crisis unlike any seen before in our lifetimes.

We have emerged stronger, more united and more resilient.

We have created a Health Union in which every pillar supports all others, and all come together for one purpose: to change the lives of EU citizens and patients.

However, we cannot stop here.

Health is an area in which threats continuously emerge. Where inequalities exist.

Complex challenges, such as climate change and antimicrobial resistance are becoming more prominent each day.

Since the beginning of this mandate we have seen what we were able to do within the treaty with health remaining a Member State competence. This is a paradigm shift in the way we see health policies. But more importantly it has also raised the bar in what citizens expect from us.

This momentum we have seen in the last 4.5 years must continue.

Health needs to remain at the top of our political agenda.

I look forward to seeing our Health Union grow stronger, ensuring better health for our citizens in the future.

When I stood in this press room and presented the pharmaceutical reform I used a quote of BONO.

“Where you live cannot determines whether you live or die”.

I will end with exactly that same quote. As this is the soul of the European Health Union we are building.