EuroHealthNet

EuroHealthNet submits this response with a neutral, precautionary and conditional stance on the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). Health is a public good and fundamental right: an essential condition for resilience, preparedness and sustainable productivity, rather than a commodity or merely a security lever.

EuroHealthNet is a not-for-profit partnership of organisations, agencies and statutory bodies working on public health, disease prevention, promoting health, and reducing inequalities. EuroHealthNet has long been committed to sustainable development in Europe and globally.

EuroHealthNet is a not-for-profit European partnership of over 80 public health bodies working to promote health and reduce health inequalities. With a long-standing commitment to health and wellbeing in education, EuroHealthNet welcomes the European Commissions Quality Education for All: A 2040 Roadmap. Schools shape not only learning, but also wellbeing, relationships and teachers working conditions.

The European Health Data Space (EHDS) aims for “making the most of the potential of digital health to provide high-quality healthcare and reduce inequalities”. EuroHealthNet has supported the establishment of the EHDS as it could improve monitoring and prevention systems, as well as enhance the ability of people to better understand and engage in their own wellbeing via multiple applications and tools.

EuroHealthNet welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to establish a European Health Data Space with the purpose of promoting access to health data for research and innovation on new preventive strategies, as well as on diagnosis and treatment of diseases to improve health outcomes, while ensuring that citizens have control over their own personal data.

EuroHealthNet welcomes this initiative and strongly supports the goal of reducing cardiovascular premature mortality by 25% by 2035. The Call for Evidence rightly acknowledges that significant inequalities exist between countries, regions, and population groups, that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups face higher cardiovascular risk and poorer outcomes, and that women are at higher risk of misdiagnosis.

EuroHealthNet is a not-for-profit partnership of organisations, agencies and statutory bodies working on public health, disease prevention, promoting health, and reducing inequalities. Between 2016-2019, it coordinated the Horizon 2020 INHERIT project, which looked at initiatives and policies that simultaneously improve health, the environment, and health equity – a “triple-win”.

EuroHealthNet is a non-profit European partnership with a long-term commitment to promoting health equity in sustainable development, supporting measures to reduce pollution levels and improve health and wellbeing.

EuroHealthNet welcomes the Commissions evaluation/review of the AVMSD, including its focus on the rapidly evolving digital media environment, the rise of influencer-led marketing & uneven protection of minors across platforms and Member States. Children & adolescents spend substantial time in digital spaces: 42% are online >2h/day every weekday & 78% on weekends.

Major trends such as demographic changes and the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases have created pressures on health and social systems, which were further exacerbated by the aftermath of the pandemic and the current geopolitical context. This polycrisis has spotlighted the need to build resilient health systems and explore the potential of the digital and green transition.

EuroHealthNet welcomes the opportunity to provide input toward the mid-term evaluation of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). In our contribution, we will provide evidence on what works and what does not, feeding to the European Commissions assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value of the ESF+.