EPH Conference Blog post
Protect European Health – Save EU4Health Civil Society Grants
EPH Updates - Floris Barnhoorn - 9 Apr 2025 9:00 CET
Protect European Health – Save EU4Health Civil Society Grants
Public health in Europe is at risk – take action now! The EU4Health programme is facing critical delays, putting science, health equity, and the future of thousands of public health professionals in jeopardy. The petition to protect EU4Health civil society funding is now live — and your support is urgently needed.
Health is a fundamental value and a strategic pillar of Europe’s security, resilience, and democracy. Civil society organisations (CSOs) in health - representing professionals, patients, researchers, and citizens - are essential to implementing EU priorities, fighting misinformation, and delivering real change at the community level.
Health consistently ranks among the top priorities for Europeans in every Eurobarometer survey over the past several years. We cannot afford to let it slip from the EU agenda - defending health is not only smart policy, but also what European people want and expect.
European health CSOs carefully prepared and signed Framework Partnership Agreements with the European Commission for 2025–2026. While this agreement does not automatically guarantee funding, it was considered sound governance and responsible planning to build their strategy and budgets on the clear understanding that the corresponding operating grant would follow. Failing to honour it now undermines not only trust, but also the principles of transparency, stability, and partnership that should guide EU action.
Delays in the EU4Health programme put science, health equity, and the future of thousands of public health professionals at risk.
We urge the European Commission to act without delay to preserve the credibility of the EU4Health programme and protect the organisations and people who make European public health stronger.
This petition is jointly led by key civil society organisations in European public health:
- ASPHER – Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region
- EPHA – European Public Health Alliance
- EUPHA – European Public Health Association
- Eurocare – European Alcohol Policy Alliance
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