Biannual briefing – October 2026

This briefing covers the first half of 2026 and highlights recent developments in European Union (EU) policy impacting the health care systems of Member States.

• The first part outlines the package of social policy measures put forward by the European Commission, including the EU’s anti-poverty strategy, the EU’s first housing strategy, as well as measures to strengthen existing initiatives: the European Child Guarantee and the Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2021-2030).
• The second part provides an overview of the work undertaken under the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, 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, together with conferences organised by the Cypriot Presidency on issues related to health care.
• The third part looks towards the second half of 2026 and provides an overview of the programme of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and its relevance in the health care field.

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.