Protect European Health – Save EU4Health Civil Society Grants
The Issue
We, the undersigned, call on the European Commission to urgently adopt the 2025 EU4Health Work Plan and ensure full-year operational funding for health civil society organisations under existing Framework Partnership Agreements.
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
- Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL)
- EPHA – European Public Health Alliance
- EUPHA – European Public Health Association
- Eurocare – European Alcohol Policy Alliance
- European Patients’ Forum
- PAREA
We are proud to have the support of respected public figures and champions of public health who have already signed this petition. Early signatories include:
- Vytenis Andriukaitis, Member of European Parliament, former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety (Lithuania)
- Sara Cerdas, MD former Member of European Parliament (Portugal)
- Prof. Martin McKee, CBE MD FRCP, strategic Advisor EUPHA (UK)
- Didier Jourdan, Full prof. Chair Holder of the unesco chair and who collaborating center "Global Health & Education" (France)
- Dr Josep Figueras, Emeritus Director European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (Spain)
- Laurent Chambaud, former director of France National Public Health School EHESP, Andrija Stampar Medal 2022