| The most important news about health equity, wellbeing, and their determinants. |
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Health Highlights
Welcome to Health Highlights, EuroHealthNet's monthly newsletter. We bring you the most important news and information about health, equity, wellbeing, and their determinants.
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The new 2028–2034 budget proposal is out
Health and social funding no longer stand-alone programmes in the €2 trillion budget
The European Commission proposes that the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) will be reorganised into three pillars: (1) National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs); (2) Competitiveness; and (3) Global Europe. Cohesion and social funds would flow via NRPPs with performance-based payments.
In the proposal, at least 14% of the NRPPs envelope (≥€100bn) will target social objectives. Horizon Europe and health will no longer be stand-alone programmes but will shift into a single European Competitiveness Fund instead.
Under the proposed MFF, the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will include subsidy caps, support small/young farmers, and ease some environmental conditions. The School fruit, vegetables and milk scheme (EU School Scheme) will see a greater focus on ‘made in Europe’.
The European institutions will now negotiate the budget, which is to be adopted before 1 January 2028. Citizens and stakeholders can provide input via the public consultations. Responding to the proposal, EuroHealthNet urged investments in health equity and a coherent budget strategy that integrates health in all policy areas.
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European Commission proposes update of the EU’s Tobacco Taxation Directive
This update aims to curb smoking, fight illicit trade, and raise revenues
From 2028, the European Commission’s update of the Tobacco Taxation Directive will raise minimum EU excise rates, extend coverage to e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, and tighten raw-tobacco controls to tackle illicit trade.
Coherent pricing is one of the most effective, equity-enhancing measures against non-communicable diseases, as it reduces youth initiation and consumption in lower-income groups. Through its updated tax rates, the Directive will support Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s goal of a tobacco-free Europe by 2040. The package is expected to generate about €15 billion in annual revenue and €6 billion in healthcare savings. In a parallel proposal, 15% of the minimum excise would become an EU-own resource (€11.2 billion yearly), with the remainder staying in national budgets.
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The Commission proposes an amendment to the EU Climate Law
New target aims for 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040
The European Commission has proposed a legally binding target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels. This milestone is designed to bridge the gap between the EU’s 2030 target (-55%) and its 2050 climate neutrality goal. The proposal introduces new flexibilities, including the use of international carbon credits for up to 3% of the target from 2036 and a greater role for CO₂ removals.
On 10–11 July, the Danish Presidency hosted an informal meeting of EU environment and climate ministers in Aalborg. Ministers discussed post-2030 climate policy, the road to climate neutrality, and preparations for COP30 in November, where the EU will present its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for reaching the goals under the Paris Agreement.
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EuroHealthNet Partnership
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Register now! EuroHealthNet & CHAIN launch report on health inequalities in the EU
This September, EuroHealthNet and CHAIN will publish a landmark review of social inequalities in health. On 25 September, the report will be launched with a live-streamed, high-level European policy debate at the European Parliament. On 26 September, participants will take a deep dive in national and sub-national data and practices on social inequalities in health. Register now!
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| EuroHealthNet works with WHO to help health ministries contribute to building wellbeing societies
The World Health Organization, in collaboration with the EuroHealthNet partnership, has published ‘Implementing the global framework on well-being at country level: policy pathways’. The guide offers ministries of health practical steps to turn the vision of wellbeing societies into action through five key policy pathways and to shift the focus beyond GDP to health, inclusion, and sustainability.
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| EuroHealthNet shares its vision for cardiovascular health for all
EuroHealthNet has submitted its contribution in response to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on a potential EU Cardiovascular Health Plan.
The recommendations emphasise health promotion, disease prevention, reducing inequalities, and integrating cardiovascular health across policy sectors. The public consultation is open until 15 September.
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Policy brief on One Health: Protecting human health from climate change and pollution in coastal environments
BlueAdapt has developed a policy brief on how a One Health Framework can support effective, equitable policymaking across Europe that protects human health from climate change and pollution in coastal environments. The policy brief highlights four key policy recommendations on the One Health systems approach, including addressing the root causes, community involvement and equity, alongside specific actions policymakers can take.
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New Schools4Health policy brief: Health Promoting Schools as a lever for equity in education
The latest Schools4Health policy brief presents the Health Promoting Schools approach as a framework to advance equity and outlines its eight global standards. It highlights current policies and initiatives supporting equity in schools, shares promising examples from across Europe, and provides actionable recommendations for governments, local authorities, and educators.
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EuroHealthNet responds to consultations
Read all our consultation responses here.
Open consultations:
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Youth smoking and nicotine use on the rise in Norway and the Netherlands
The Norwegian Directorate of Health’s ‘Talk about Tobacco report’ shows increasing nicotine use among 16–24-year-olds, occasional smoking rising to 17%, smoking and vaping increasing among young women, and over 30% of men aged 25–34 using snus daily. The Directorate calls for stronger prevention, tighter regulation, and Nordic cooperation to address the trend.
Looking at the effectiveness of excise duties on tobacco, the Dutch Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reports that 7% of smokers in the Netherlands quit after the 2024 excise duty increase. The share of tobacco products bought abroad went up to 60%, from 40% in 2023. RIVM recommends aligning EU tobacco prices, limiting import allowances, and taxing e-cigarettes to sustain impact.
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Spain launches working group on climate change and vulnerable populations
The Spanish Ministry of Health, alongside other ministries and civil society organisations, has joined the new Working Group, which falls under the Spanish Health and Climate Change Observatory. The group will analyse the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations and promote fair adaptation measures through prevention, training, and cross-sector coordination.
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Empowering citizens: how public participation enhances care quality and equity
The latest issue of La Santé en Action by Santé Publique France explores how citizen participation, through conventions, consultations, and workshops, can improve care quality, promote autonomy, and reduce inequalities.
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14 consecutive years: Prolepsis Institute rounds off another year of providing healthy school meals
For the 14th consecutive school year, the Prolepsis Institute’s Nutrition and Promotion of Healthy Eating Programme provided healthy daily meals and nutrition education to students in vulnerable areas of Greece. Since 2012, over 19 million meals have reached nearly 205,000 students, improving food security, dietary habits, and health-related quality of life.
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More news from the Partnership
- EuroHealthNet’s 2025 Annual Seminar report and presentations on climate change and health are now available online.
- PSLifestyle has released its Citizen Science Labs Manual, which provides step-by-step guidance, facilitation tools, and virtual meeting options to support effective citizen engagement. The initiative also released its Learnings Cookbook summarising the key findings, lessons learned, and practical recommendations from the project.
- Read the latest newsletter from RIVER-EU, a Europe-wide initiative working to reduce inequalities in vaccine uptake by engaging underserved communities. Stay up to date and subscribe now.
- Invest4Health’s latest newsletter outlines progress towards mobilising finance models for health promotion and disease prevention.
- Public Health Scotland has updated its Alcohol Consumption and Harms Dashboard (ACHD). The latest data shows that adults in Scotland consume alcohol over 50% above safe drinking guidelines, and people in the most deprived areas are six times more likely to be hospitalised or die from alcohol-related causes.
- A new interactive guideline, Bridging the Gap between Primary Care and the Social Domain, developed by PHAROS, offers practical advice, examples, and success factors to strengthen cross-sector collaboration. It aims to connect healthcare and social services to better support people with complex needs.
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News from the Institutions
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EU4Health Work Programme for 2025 has been announced
The European Commission’s 2025 EU4Health work programme confirms the removal of operating grants for EU civil society organisations working on health. Financial support has shifted to action grants, albeit limited, in priority areas such as cancer, AI, and cardiovascular disease.
Of the €571 million budget, €380 million goes to crisis preparedness, €71 million to strengthening health systems, and over €60 million to cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Health promotion and disease prevention are assigned just €7.6 million–a mere 1.33% of the total–despite a legal obligation to earmark 20% to this end.
Calls for proposals for the 2025 work programme will open in September. In the meantime, a targeted consultation on the 2026 work programme has already been launched, open until 30 September.
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Commission steps forward to protect minors online
The European Commission has published guidelines under the Digital Services Act to strengthen online privacy, safety, and security for minors and to address addictive design, cyberbullying, harmful content, and unwanted contact.
It also presented a privacy-protective age-verification app prototype to limit minors’ exposure to adult content. Pilot launches are planned in five Member States.
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Council adopts 2025 country-specific recommendations
The Council of the EU has adopted the 2025 country-specific recommendations (CSRs) under the European Semester, which help Member States coordinate their economic, employment and fiscal policies. Aligned with the Competitiveness Compass, they highlight competitiveness, security, defence spending, and effective use of EU funds. This year, the Commission took a more comprehensive approach, giving greater attention to health and social challenges, among other sectors.
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WHO report calls for urgent action on loneliness and social isolation
A landmark report from the WHO Commission on Social Connection warns that loneliness and isolation are widespread and harming health and society. It calls for treating social health as urgently as physical and mental health and offers public health solutions and strategies to strengthen social connections.
Two articles in the Lancet highlight social wellbeing it as the neglected third pillar of health alongside mental and physical health and warn that loneliness affects up to 50% of refugees and asylum seekers, with serious physical and mental health consequences.
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EESC issues opinions on growing healthcare inequalities and commercial determinants of health
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has warned that the cost-of-living crisis is worsening healthcare inequalities in the EU, especially for vulnerable groups. It urges stronger implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, reduced or reimbursed care costs for low-income groups, investment in public healthcare, and a European Care Guarantee.
Looking into commercial determinants of health, an EESC opinion examines harmful industry tactics—marketing, lobbying, regulatory capture, etc—and identifies barriers to effective policy. The opinion recommends stronger measures to rein in industry influence to prevent and reduce non-communicable diseases.
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What we are reading...
Ageing A European Parliamentary Research Service study examines how ageing is shaped by health and socio-demographic factors such as gender and education. Women with lower education and older adults face the greatest risks. The findings aim to guide policymakers in targeting resources and strategies to promote equitable, healthy ageing across Europe.
AI LSE research finds AI tools used in social work in many of England’s councils downplay women’s health issues, risking gender bias in care decisions - The Guardian
Alcohol The Netherlands’ 2024 Health Monitor shows 45% of adults now meet the national guideline to drink no alcohol or no more than one glass a day, up from 38% in 2012. Compliance is lower among men, 18–34-year-olds, and those with higher education levels.
Alcohol The Irish Government has postponed the introduction of mandatory alcohol warning labels which were originally planned for 2026, until 2028 –Irish Examiner
Alcohol The Polish health ministry plans to ban alcohol sales at gas stations to curb irresponsible drinking by both drivers and late-night buyers - Rzeczpospolita
Child poverty A joint statement from Public Health Scotland, the Faculty of Public Health, the Royal Society for Public Health, and Scottish Directors of Public Health warns that child poverty is a major driver of health inequalities, and calls for a UK-wide strategy with measures including stronger employment rights, a higher National Living Wage, and targeted social security support.
Child poverty Britain announced a £500m Better Futures Fund to support 200,000 vulnerable children over 10 years, improving family support, education access, and safe housing opportunities. - Reuters
Climate change A new Eurobarometer shows 85% of Europeans see climate change as a serious problem, with 81% backing climate neutrality by 2050. Most support renewable energy, efficiency, and clean tech investment, and 92% take personal action, though citizens see governments, the EU, and business as key to driving change.
Climate change An open letter from the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health warns that extreme heat, disease spread, and infrastructure strain are creating a health crisis across Europe and central Asia. The Commissioners urge urgent adoption of heat-health action plans and cross-sectoral measures to protect lives, equity, and economies.
Climate change About 2,300 people died from heat-related causes in 12 European cities during the 10 days to 2 July, with climate change responsible for roughly 1,500 of these deaths- Imperial Grantham Institute
Diet Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to a significantly increased risk of lung cancer. Those with the highest UPF intake had a 41% higher risk of lung cancer, compared to those with the lowest intake – Thorax
Environment The UN Environment Programme’s Frontiers 2025 report identifies four pressing issues with the potential to grow from local to global crises, urging early, science-based and anticipatory action.
Health inequalities Health inequalities affect large segments of Ireland’s population, driven by poverty, discrimination, and unequal access to care - Irish Health Service Executive
Health inequalities A study within the ROM21 project (Roma Women leading communities' transformation) tested health communication with non-academic Roma women, through co-creation with a Roma women’s association – Frontiers in Public Health
Housing Rising EU minimum wages are outpaced by housing costs. Young earners spend 34.8% on housing; 48.9% live with parents vs 29.1%, undermining independence, worsening health equity, demanding urgent multi-policy action - Eurofound
Life expectancy New data from National Records of Scotland show healthy life expectancy has dropped to its lowest in nearly a decade—averaging 60 years for women and 59.6 for men in 2021–2023. There are gaps of up to 14 years across different regions.
Life expectancy In 2022, 1.1 million deaths in the EU among people under 75 were considered avoidable: 386 710 treatable through high-quality healthcare and 725 625 preventable via public health measures. Leading treatable causes were ischaemic heart disease, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer, while leading preventable causes were lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, and COVID-19 - Eurostat
Physical activity A new systematic review and meta-analysis finds that walking around 7,000 steps per day is linked to substantial health benefits, cutting the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and falls by 22–47% compared with 2,000 steps - The Lancet Public Health
Taxation The WHO has launched the 3 by 35 Initiative which aims to raise the real prices of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50% by 2035 via tax increases. The plan seeks to cut consumption, prevent NCD-related deaths, and generate over US$ 1 trillion in public revenue within the next decade.
Tobacco and nicotine Analysis of Healthy Ireland survey data finds in 2015, people who smoked and vaped were more likely to try quitting tobacco than smokers alone, but by 2023 this link had disappeared. The article calls for stronger e-cigarette regulation - The Lancet Regional Health Europe
Tobacco and nicotine With a new bill, Greece is making the sale of tobacco to under-18s a criminal offence and banning adults from sending children to buy cigarettes. The bill also caps nicotine in tobacco pouches at 16 grams, down from levels as high as 70 grams - Euronews
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Events
- Call for abstracts open (Deadline: 1 October)
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EuroHealthNet is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of EuroHealthNet only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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