EU member states are reducing the health budget

The European medical profession is calling on Brussels to increase the share of its recovery plan earmarked for health, pointing out that a reduced budget in this area would in particular lead to shortcomings in terms of health security.

In its monthly newsletter, the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), which represents national medical associations at the EU level, highlighted the lack of coherence between the Brussels speech, delivered at the beginning of the pandemic, and the current one, arguing that the bloc’s convictions seemed to have dissolved as the situation evolved.

In its stimulus package launched in May to overcome the pandemic, the European Commission had put forward the €9.4 billion “EU Health Programme” aimed at strengthening the resilience of health systems, improving coordination in public health and crisis management.

However, this figure has been drastically revised downwards to €1.7 billion – a reduction following pressure from frugal countries (Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden) at the EU summit in July.