On the 3rd of June, Senior EU Policy Advisor and Young Gasteiner Roberta Savli met with the Cabinet of the Commissioner for Public Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis to discuss the health priorities for the next 4 years.
During the Cabinet presentation, chronic diseases was confirmed as the number one priority of the Commissioner, followed by the Commission’s work on prevention and the achievement of the "health in all policies" principle.
During the discussion, Roberta suggested that patients’ groups expertise is key to achieve these priorities and underlined that new rules adopted by the Commission in the third public health programme and in its implementing work plans are currently hampering the possibility for patients' groups to apply for funding, and therefore ensure equitable representation of the most vulnerable groups in the EU decision-making process.
In June 2015, the European Commission adopted the 2015 work programme for implementing the third programme for the Union’s action in the field of health (2014-2020). The work plan awards grants for projects, actions co-financed with Member States authorities, operating grants for organisations that were awarded with framework partnership agreements last year, grants for Presidency conferences and other grants for international organisations and Eurostat sub-delegations.
To know more about this programme, plan and annexes, please visit the European Commission website.