EU4Health programme

Briefing 22-04-2021

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 December 2020, 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. After adoption by the Parliament and Council in March 2021, based on the text agreed in trilogue, the final act was signed by the presidents of the co-legislators on 24 March 2021. Regulation (EU) 2021/522 entered into force on 27 March 2021 and applies retroactively from 1 January 2021. Third edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.