European Health Care News – July 2025

The Council of the European Union (EU) has approved conclusions on promoting and protecting the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of increased digitalisation. Member States to focus on preventive measures ensuring the safe and healthy use of digital tools without risks for mental health. These include close collaborations with key stakeholders, including health care professionals (EN/FR/NL).

The Cardiovascular Health Group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) was officially launched in April. This cross-party group aims to promote the exchange of information and action on cardiovascular health. The group is coordinated by the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH), which has issued a roadmap outlining strategic priorities to inform the development of the upcoming EU cardiovascular health plan (EN).

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published a document translating the lessons learned from recent public health crises into concrete recommendations for public health authorities in the EU and the European Economic Area. The aim is to support the revision or development of preparedness plans for responding to public health threats at both national and regional levels (EN).

The Council of the EU has agreed its position on the proposals for a regulation and directive presented by the European Commission in April 2023 to revise the EU pharmaceutical legislation (EN/FR/NL).The European Parliament having also approved entering into interinstitutional negotiations (EN), the first trilogue took place in Strasbourg on 17 June. The meeting showed that significant disagreements persist, notably in relation to regulatory data protection (EN).

The regulation on compulsory licensing for crisis management proposed by the European Commission in May 2023 aims to provide an EU-wide framework that ensures the availability of key products and technologies in crisis situations, such as pandemics. The provisional agreement that has now been reached by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament emphasises the last-resort nature of this instrument by prioritising voluntary agreements concluded within a reasonable timeframe (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has amended an implementing regulation from 2021, which limited the option of receiving electronic instructions for use only to certain medical devices and their accessories. The Commission has now extended this option to all medical devices used by health care professionals within the EU (EN/FR/NL).

Supported by the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) of the European Commission, the hub was inaugurated in Siena, Italy. It aims to accelerate vaccine development and ensure its sustainability by bringing together national investments in vaccine research and development at the EU level (EN/FR).

In its communication titled ‘AI Continent Action Plan’, the European Commission has outlined a series of actions and policies aimed at boosting innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) across the EU. The following five areas are targeted: computing infrastructure; high-quality data; the development and adoption of algorithms; skills; and regulatory simplification. Health care is one of the sectors where AI is expected to deliver transformative benefits and will be addressed specifically in the upcoming Apply AI strategy (EN/FR/NL).

A report prepared by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre examines the opportunities and challenges that Generative AI presents to different sectors, such as health care. The report emphasises the importance of careful management and strategic policy interventions to maximise its potential benefits, mitigate risks, and ensure that its development aligns with democratic values and the EU legal framework (EN).

In line with the new EU economic governance rules, the European Commission has published the second-stage country analysis of the Social Convergence Framework. This focuses on the Member States that were identified as experiencing potential risks to upward social convergence: Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary and Romania. The analysis examines the challenges they face, and the policies designed to address them, including those relating to health care and long-term care. It confirms challenges to upward social convergence for Greece, Romania and Italy (EN).

As part of the 2025 European Semester Spring Package, the European Commission has proposed a Council decision on employment guidelines. These maintain the core priorities of the 2024 guidelines, which focused on skills and labour shortages, and the need for digital skills. The guidelines also reaffirm the importance of ensuring timely and equal access to affordable, high-quality health and long-term care in the context of potential future health risks and ageing societies (EN/FR/NL).

Together with the Indicators’ Sub-Group of the Social Protection Committee, the European Commission has updated the framework used to monitor Member States’ implementation of the 2021 Council Recommendation aimed at ensuring that children in need have access to essential goods and services. New indicators have been added to improve the monitoring of effective, free access to health care services (EN).

The European Commission intends to further implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, which includes a principle that addresses access to health care, while adapting to the rapidly evolving socio-economic, labour market, demographic, and geopolitical contexts. The consultation seeks feedback on the implementation and impact of the first action plan, and on the objectives and content of the upcoming plan, which is expected to be published in the fourth quarter of 2025 (EN/FR/NL).

This year’s Spring Package analyses economic and social challenges and provides Member States with policy guidance to strengthen their competitiveness, prosperity and resilience (EN/FR/NL). Linked to the thematic area of skills, quality jobs and social fairness, the communication from the European Commission emphasises the need to build resilient health and long-term care systems and enhance health security (EN).

The 2025 Spring Package, published by the European Commission, contains country reports assessing economic, employment and social developments in each Member State (EN/FR/NL). A specific section is dedicated to the challenges faced by the national health systems. The reports also take stock of the implementation of Recovery and Resilience Plans and Cohesion Policy programmes, which includes investment and reforms in the health sector (EN).

The European Commission has also issued country-specific recommendations tailored to the specific needs of each Member State, as part of the 2025 Spring Package (EN/FR/NL). Belgium and Austria were specifically asked to improve the cost-effectiveness of their long-term care systems. The other Member States were urged to improve either access to quality, affordable long-term care (Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia), or the working conditions of care workers (Slovenia) (EN).

The country-specific recommendations issued by the European Commission as part of the 2025 Spring Package (EN/FR/NL) specifically target the health sector in eleven Member States. Austria and Ireland are primarily invited to improve the cost-effectiveness of their health care systems, while the other countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovakia) need to address issues related to accessibility, sustainability, governance, digitalisation and/or the health workforce. It should be noted that all 27 Member States are generally invited to implement EU instruments that support investment and reforms, which may also pertain to the health sector (EN).

The European Commission has assessed the implementation of medium-term fiscal-structural plans by 18 Member States, based on the annual progress reports they submitted as part of the 2025 European Semester (EN). These plans include reforms to the health sector (EN). The Commission has also analysed the specific budgetary situation in Austria, Finland, Latvia and Spain (EN), as well as in the eight countries subject to the excessive deficit procedure. Specific recommendations were proposed for Romania and Belgium, which have since been adopted by the Council of the EU (EN/FR/NL). This monitoring aims to ensure that Member States comply with budgetary discipline, possibly affecting their health care spending (EN/FR/NL).

As part of the new economic governance framework, the Council of the EU adopted the recommendation proposed by the European Commission endorsing the maximum net expenditure paths for Belgium and Bulgaria, as laid out in their national medium-term fiscal-structural plans. Since Belgium requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period to seven years, the Council also endorsed the reform and investment commitments underpinning this extension. Both plans include investments and reforms regarding the health sector (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission used the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy to propose targeted amendments to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund (EN/FR/NL), and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (EN/FR/NL). The ERDF and the ESF+ aim to promote social and economic development in all EU regions and cities, including by investing in health care. The proposed amendments aim to enable Member States to reallocate some of their funds to invest in new strategic priorities, such as defence, competitiveness, affordable housing and the energy transition. The Council of the EU has already agreed its negotiating positions (EN/FR/NL). The European Court of Auditors has published an opinion pointing to the risk of further fragmentation and complexity in Cohesion Policy programmes (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has urged Member States to promptly and comprehensively revise their national plans to ensure that all milestones and targets are met by the end of August 2026 (EN/FR/NL). It has reiterated that the Recovery and Resilience Facility is temporary and has strict implementation deadlines, which leaves little scope for the extension requested by the European Parliament (EN/FR). The Facility also supports investments and reforms in the health sector.

The European Court of Auditors has published two new reports on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The first report assesses the effectiveness of the RRF in contributing to the digital transition by evaluating a sample of measures, including those related to telemedicine (EN/FR/NL). The second report summarises the findings regarding the design, control framework and implementation of the RRF. The aim is to provide insights for future performance-based instruments under the next multiannual financial framework (EN/FR/NL).

A call for proposals published under the Digital Europe Programme aims to improve the cybersecurity of hospitals and health care providers (EN). Two additional calls were launched under the Horizon Europe programme to promote the integration of generative artificial intelligence in biomedical research and health care (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has launched a call for proposals under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The aim is to finance projects in five areas likely to ensure the effective integration and inclusion of third-country nationals in the EU. One of these areas is migrants’ access to health care, including mental health and psychosocial support (EN).

The European Parliament has set out its vision and priorities for the next EU long-term budget, which will cover the period 2028-2034. The aim is to feed into the proposal that the European Commission will publish in July. Based on lessons learned from Covid-19, the Parliament recalls that strategic autonomy in health is key to ensuring preparedness in this area and that adequate investment is needed to build a European Health Union that delivers for all citizens (EN/FR/NL).

A group of 150 citizens from all 27 EU Member States discussed the new EU budget for 2028-2034, focussing on priorities and actions that would benefit European citizens the most. Three of the 22 recommendations relate to health care. They urge the European Commission to address the following priorities: reducing regional disparities by expanding essential infrastructures and services; providing budget support to ensure equal access to health care, medicine production, and cross-border care within the EU; and supporting mental health for all age groups through integrated EU budgetary measures (EN/FR/NL).

The EU4Health Civil Society Alliance has urged the European Commission to adopt the 2025 work plan of the EU4Health programme without further delay. The signatories emphasise the key role of EU4Health in implementing ambitious policies during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. They expressed concern about the negative impact of the delay on the programme’s implementation (EN). The call was endorsed by seven members of the European Parliament representing diverse political groups and countries (EN).

The European Commission has proposed retaliatory measures under the EU’s International Procurement Instrument to balance the situation between the EU and China (EN/FR/NL). An investigation in 2024 revealed that EU companies have difficulty accessing China’s procurement market for medical devices (EN/FR/NL). From 30 June 2025, the new measures will restrict the participation of Chinese manufactures in large EU public tenders for medical devices.

Sterimed is a French company that provides medical packaging to medical device manufacturers and patient care facilities and that offers a variety of sterilizable materials. The European Commission has approved its acquisition by the Luxembourg-based private equity firm IK Partners and the French portfolio management company Sagard (EN, FR).

The transaction approved by the European Commission concerns the acquisition of sole control of assets of the European over-the-counter business of Viatris (based in France and Italy) by the French company Cooper. It relates to the European over-the-counter market, especially for pharmaceutical products (EN).

Mehiläinen is a Finnish private company that provides social and health care services in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden. The European Commission has approved its acquisition by Hellman & Friedman, a US-based private equity investment firm, and CVC Capital Partners, a global alternative investment manager based in Jersey (EN).

Bluebird is an American company that is primarily involved in developing and commercialising gene therapies that address the underlying genetic causes of disease. The European Commission has approved its acquisition by SK Capital Partners and Carlyle Group, which are also based in the United States (EN).

Office Ally is an American company that provides digital platform services to health care payers and providers in the United States. The European Commission has approved its acquisition by two investment firms that are also based in the United States: New Mountain and Francisco Partners (EN).

NextGen Healthcare is an American company that provides ambulatory health care technology solutions, such as electronic health record software and practice management systems. The European Commission has approved its acquisition by two private equity firms that are also based in the United States: Madison Dearborn Partners and Thoma Bravo (EN).

In Case C‑489/23, the Advocate General addresses a key issue in cross-border health care with direct relevance for patients seeking treatment abroad. The case concerns a Romanian patient denied reimbursement for hospital care received in Germany, because the medical assessment wasn’t issued by a doctor within Romania’s public health insurance system. The Advocate General concludes that such a requirement is contrary to EU law (Article 56 TFEU and Article 7(7) of Directive 2011/24/EU), as it unjustly restricts patients’ right to seek care in another Member State (EN/FR/NL).

Case C‑115/24 concerns an Austrian dentist working with German firms lacking Austrian authorisations. The Opinion delivered by the Advocate General confirms that telemedicine – when provided entirely via information and communication technologies – falls under both cross-border health care rules (Directive 2011/24/EU) and the internal market framework for information society services (Directive 2000/31/EC). Therefore, the Member States may not impose unjustified restrictions. It also states that professional mobility based solely on remote services does not constitute “establishment” under Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. Any restrictive measures to the freedom of establishment must be justified by overriding public interest (EN/FR/NL).

In Case C‑743/23, the Advocate General examined how to determine the applicable social security legislation for a worker employed simultaneously in Germany, Switzerland, and third countries. The case involves the health insurance coverage of a German resident employed by a Swiss company, who worked part of his time in each country but mostly in non-EU/EEA states. In his opinion, the Advocate General proposed that the Court answers that work carried out in third countries must be taken into account when assessing whether a ‘substantial part’ of a worker’s activity is performed in his Member State of residence, under Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, read with Regulation No 987/2009 (EN/FR/NL).

In Case C‑678/23, a preliminary ruling was requested to clarify whether EU law guarantees effective judicial protection for health care workers in hospitals, whose exposure to high-risk conditions is not formally recognised due to administrative omissions by their employer. The case involves a Romanian doctor who lost entitlement to pension and leave benefits after her hospital failed to renew the workplace’s risk classification. The Advocate General proposes that the Court should reply that Article 9 and 11(6) of Council Directive 89/391/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work do not apply to national rules that deny workers the ability to challenge the classification of their working conditions or obtain retroactive recognition of rights (EN/FR/NL).

In Case C‑219/24, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment clarifying that EU Directives 89/391/EEC and 2000/54/EC do not prevent Member States from adopting national legislation allowing employers to require workers exposed to biological risks to undergo vaccination. The case involved the termination of employment contracts of emergency medical staff in Tallinn due to lack of proof of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 or medical exemptions (EN/FR/NL).

Case C-338/24 involves a progressive disease allegedly caused by a Sanofi Pasteur vaccine. Based on EU Directive 85/374/EEC concerning liability for defective products, the Advocate General found that victims may still seek compensation under national fault-based liability rules if a producer failed to act on known risks. Moreover, the 10-year absolute limitation period for bringing claims is invalid under Article 47 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights when applied to injured persons suffering from progressive diseases, as it may deny them effective access to justice. Finally, the 3-year limitation period should begin from the stabilisation of the medical condition, not from its initial manifestation (EN/FR/NL).

In Case T-36/23, the General Court annulled the European Commission’s refusal to grant access to text messages exchanged between its President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO during Covid-19 vaccine negotiations. The Court held that, since informal communications fall within the scope of Regulation 1049/2001 on public access to EU documents, the Commission cannot merely claim non-possession of such records without providing adequate justification, presenting the searches conducted or reasons for potential deletion. The applicant provided consistent and relevant evidence rebutting the Commission’s presumption of non-existence and non-possession of the requested messages (EN, FR, NL).

The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to 14 Member States for failing to notify the measures they adopted to fully transpose Directive (EU) 2024/505 into national law. This directive specifically concerns the recognition of the professional qualifications of nurses responsible for general care who were trained in Romania (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has issued a reasoned opinion to France on the basis that its national rules restrict both the number of veterinary companies in which a veterinarian can work and the ability of veterinarians from other Member States to provide temporary and occasional services in France. These rules breach the Services Directive 2006/123/EC and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to Slovenia for failing to comply with Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement. The Commission particularly contests the exemption granted to public pharmacy entities from public procurement procedures for the purchase of medicines (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has sent letters of formal notice to Portugal and Slovakia, following rulings by the Court of Justice of the EU that confirmed their failure to comply with EU rules designed to limit payment delays to businesses by public authorities (EN/FR/NL). The Commission considers that the measures announced by the two countries since the rulings were issued do not adequately address the shortcomings relating the excessively late payments made by public health hospitals in Slovakia and by several layers of the public administrations in Portugal (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has sent a reasoned opinion to 19 Member States for failing to notify full transposition of Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (also known as the NIS2 Directive) into national law. The directive aims to improve the resilience and incident-response capacities of public and private entities operating in critical sectors, including the health sector, in the context of increasing cyber threats (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to Czechia due to shortcomings in its current legislation that result in different treatments of full-time and part-time workers in the event of overtime. This situation violates two principles: the non-discrimination of part-time workers (as set out in Council Directive 97/81/EC), and the equal treatment between men and women in matters of employment and occupation (as set out in Directive 2006/54/EC). The Commission’s decision is based on two judgments of the Court of Justice of the EU on this topic, one of which concerned part-time health workers in Germany (EN/FR/NL).

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has published its concluding observations on the EU’s commitment to the rights of people with disabilities, based on its periodic review. The Committee expressed particular concern regarding the lack of explicit legal protection against disability-based discrimination in health care, as well as the persisting barriers that people with disabilities face in accessing health care (EN/FR).

Following more than three years of negotiations, the Members States of the World Health Organization concluded the work initiated in response to the Covid-19 pandemic by adopting the so-called ‘Pandemic Agreement’. The agreement aims to strengthen global collaboration on the prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemic threats (EN/FR).

In an online article for EUobserver, Adam Rogalewski of the European Federation of Public Service Unions claims that Europe risks repeating past mistakes by prioritising deregulation, competitiveness and austerity, resulting in cuts to investment in health and social care services. This approach is likely to jeopardise the ability of health and social care systems to prepare for and respond to future emergencies. As the pandemic demonstrated, only robust, adequately funded services with qualified staff can ensure resilience and guarantee universal access to quality health care (EN).

The third phase of a project funded by the European Trade Union Institute examined the costs of coronary heart disease, stroke, and depression in the 27 EU Member States and the United Kingdom. Despite being strongly associated with psychosocial work exposures, these health conditions are not usually recognised as occupational diseases, raising questions about who finances the related public expenditure. The report analyses the direct medical costs and the indirect costs related to sickness absence and presenteeism, as well as the cost of years of life lost due to mortality rates (EN).

The European Public Health Alliance has published a report presenting a series of expert-informed recommendations on how to improve mental health and well-being indicators. Unlike most EU and international frameworks, the report takes a broader, more comprehensive and more positive approach to measuring and monitoring mental wellbeing. It identifies key metrics that should be included in a European framework that aligns with the objectives of the EU Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health (EN).

The first policy brief aims to support health professionals, policymakers and other health sector actors in planning digital upskilling and reskilling initiatives (EN). The second policy brief offers a framework for future action to build a climate-smart health and care workforce (EN). Both publications were developed by the BeWell project consortium, a multistakeholder partnership funded under the EU programme ERASMUS+ for the period 2022-2026 to promote the upskilling and reskilling of the European health workforce (EN).

In an article published in the journal ‘Health Policy’, Scott Greer and colleagues examine how actions of the second Trump administration affect the health systems and policies of European countries and the EU. They argue that US action could undermine the fiscal capacity and willingness of European governments to fund health systems. However, the US’s withdrawal from certain areas could also create opportunities to strengthen European health systems and increase the EU’s influence on global health governance (EN).