Biannual briefing – July 2026

This briefing covers the second half of 2025 and sets out the priorities on the European Union (EU) agenda that have an impact on Member States’ health care systems.

• The first part outlines the legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission in the areas of health security, cardiovascular health, biotechnology and medical devices, as well as, more generally, health-related research and innovation.

• The second part describes the priorities targeted by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, setting out the legislative dossiers worked on in the ‘Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs’ (EPSCO) configuration dedicated to the health sector, as well as in other Council configurations.

• The third part looks ahead to the first half of 2026 and provides an overview of the programme announced by the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.
  

This series of biannual briefings focuses on the strategies proposed by the European Commission in the health sector, as well as in related sectors that may have an impact on the organisation and funding of health care, such as social and employment policies, economic and research policies, the internal market, etc. It also examines the positions and priorities of the Member States, reviewing the work carried out by each rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Biannual briefing – September 2025

This briefing covers the first half of 2025 and outlines priorities set on the European Union’s agenda that are likely to have an impact on Member States’ healthcare systems.

• The first section presents the legislative acts that the European Commission introduced in the areas of cybersecurity and critical medicines.

• The second part describes the priorities targeted by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU on three levels: follow-up of ongoing legislative files; formal and informal Council meetings; national and international conferences.

• The third part looks ahead to the second half of 2025 and provides an overview of the programme announced by the Danish Presidency of the Council.
  

This series of biannual briefings focuses on the strategies proposed by the European Commission in the health sector, but also in related sectors that may have an impact on the organisation and financing of healthcare, such as social and employment policies, economic and research policies, the internal market, etc. It also examines the position and priorities of the Member States, reviewing the work carried out by each rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Biannual briefing – January 2025

Every six months, this series of briefings provides a summary of the priorities on the European Union agenda that are are likely to have an impact on Member States’ health care and health insurance systems. While the organisation, financing and delivery of health care fall within the competence of the Member States, the European Union can guide and support strategies in this area, not only through its health policy per se, but also through social and employment policies, economic, research and innovation policies, internal market regulation policies, not to mention its financing instruments. For this reason, the note presents the main priorities set in European health policy and, where appropriate, in other areas. Emphasis is placed on the position of the Member States at European level – by monitoring the work of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union – and on the new strategies proposed by the European Commission.

This briefing focuses on the second half of 2024, first analysing the work of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and then considering the priorities set by the European Commission. It concludes with a presentation of the programme planned for the first half of 2025 by the Polish Presidency of the Council.