SANT: Parliament confirms standing committee for public health

After the adoption of Parliament’s decision to create a standing committee on public health, Chair Adam Jarubas (EPP, Poland) made the following statement:

“On behalf of all EU citizens who see added value in greater European engagement in health, I would like to express gratitude to all those involved in establishing European Parliament’s independent, legislative, full Public Health Committee.

The SANT Committee's focused mandate will allow it to address the most pressing health issues agilely and effectively. At the same time, open cooperation with other relevant Parliament committees and commissioners will allow it to maintain the “One Health” approach.

The COVID19 pandemic clearly showed how much more effective we can be by acting together, instead of competing for limited resources that only drive up costs, and provided a momentum for EU action in health. We must now live up to the high expectations of our citizens.

In 2021, with Parliament’s support, the EU adopted and is now implementing Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the first comprehensive, holistic, health strategy. Doctors, scientists and, most importantly, patients expect similar strategies in other health areas, such as cardiovascular conditions, the biggest killer in Europe, or neurodegenerative diseases, on the rise with the aging population. We also urgently need an action plan implementing and advancing EU’s 2023 mental health strategy. Both neurological and mental health could be effectively combined in a “brain health strategy”.

In an increasingly unstable world, we need to ensure greater autonomy for medicines and other health resources, more rapid detection and preparedness for future health crises, ensure leadership in health innovation for the benefit of patients, but also for EU’s competitiveness. We need to reduce health inequalities, both between and within EU countries, between densely urbanised areas and smaller towns, rural or remote areas. I will always repeat: health depends on DNA code, but, in the EU, it must not depend on postal code.

As we saw during the hearings and plenary debates, president Ursula von der Leyen and the new College of Commissioners are ready to work to complete EU’s Health Union, but they need a serious partner, with an appropriate democratic mandate and understanding citizen’s needs. That is why, on this historic day, an independent, legislative, full Public Health Committee became reality.”

Background

In February 2023, Parliament approved the creation of a public health subcommittee. In December 2024, Parliament’s political group leaders decided to upgrade its status to a standing committee. The decision was confirmed by plenary, which adopted on 18 December the modification of Parliament’s rules of procedure accordingly.