On 3 June, the European Parliament’s Committee on Public Health (SANT) held its first-ever dedicated exchange of views on lung health and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), marking a significant step towards the broader recognition of respiratory health in the EU.
Building on the momentum of our February COPD event in the European Parliament, the hearing served to reflect the growing support for better EU-level action on chronic respiratory conditions. It also followed the adoption of a historic WHO resolution on lung health, which was a major global win for asthma and COPD patients.
With 11 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) present and translation provided in 14 languages, the debate reflected wide cross-party and geographic engagement. The discussion focused on improving prevention, early diagnosis, and care for the more than 36 million Europeans living with COPD and other chronic respiratory conditions.
The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) joined the panel to represent the patient perspective, alongside the European Respiratory Society (ERS), who provided the medical background on COPD and highlighted how enhanced prevention and care can save lives.
SANT Committee hearing at the European Parliament
Patients and healthcare professionals ask the EU to take decisive action on COPD
COPD remains a leading cause of preventable death in Europe, yet it continues to receive limited political attention. The June hearing aimed to address that gap by giving space to both the science and the people affected by this debilitating disease.
Representing clinicians, Professor Didier Cataldo of the European Respiratory Society underlined the urgency: “COPD is the third leading cause of death globally and remains largely underdiagnosed in the EU.” He called on Parliament to act through increased funding for research, investments in early detection tools, and support for national respiratory health strategies, especially ahead of the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM4).
Károly Illy, Vice-President of EFA, brought the voice of the patient community, stressing that COPD is not only fatal but deeply affects daily life. “If current trends continue, COPD will affect 49 million people in the EU and cause 9% of all preventable deaths,” Illy said. “The EU must adopt decisive policies that place patients at the centre, enabling early diagnosis, equitable access to care and support systems that allow patients to actively manage their health.”
Karoly Illy (EFA Vice President) and Professor Didier Cataldo (ERS) at the hearing
EFA called on the European Parliament Health Committee to take four concrete actions to change the course of COPD across Europe:
- Champion a motion to prioritise COPD ahead of the September UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM4)
- Investing in diagnostic tools under EU health programmes to improve early detection and diagnosis
- Prioritise COPD in EU financial instruments, such as EU4Health and Horizon Europe
- Update EU tobacco legislation to protect youth and deliver a #SmokefreeGeneration by 2040
MEPs show strong cross-party support to #KeepBreathing
The exchange saw widespread engagement from MEPs, many of whom drew attention to the links between lung health and broader environmental and social challenges, as well as welcomed the voices of patients in the room.
MEPs Tomislav Sokol (Croatia, EPP) and Gerald Hauser (Austria, PfE) highlighted the impact of air pollution from different sources but especially from traffic and domestic heating on respiratory health. MEP Ondřej Dostál (Czech Republic, ECR) highlighted indoor air quality and the role of building standards in reducing harmful exposures.
On prevention, MEPs Aurelijus Veryga (Lithuania, ECR) and Nicolás González Casares (Spain, S&D) advocated for stronger EU regulation on tobacco and new nicotine products. “There is already scientific evidence that these new smoking products are toxic,” said Casares. “We cannot let commercial interests prevail over public health.”
Responding to concerns about vaping and youth addiction, Károly Illy cautioned: “Once addicted to nicotine, the brain will continue to ask for it. Vapes and new nicotine products are not harmless alternatives, but a gateway. We need to protect our youth.”
Vytenis Andriukaitis, former European Commissioner for Health and current MEP (Lithuania, S&D), called for a more integrated approach to NCDs: “Non-communicable diseases like COPD, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, they are all interconnected. We cannot tackle one and ignore the others.”
MEP Andras Kulja (Hungary, EPP) stressed the need to use health data to improve early diagnosis and treatment pathways across Europe.
Policy change for stronger COPD standards of care
This hearing marks an important step in building political awareness and momentum for stronger EU action on lung health. Building on evidence from EFA’s COPD Standards of Care report and the European Lung Health Group’s #KeepBreathing campaign, the discussion reinforced the need for an EU response that reflects the scale of COPD.
EFA reiterated its commitment to work with institutions and national governments to ensure that people living with COPD have timely access to diagnosis, high-quality treatment, and supportive environments that allow them to #KeepBreathing.
As policymakers look ahead to potential updates on EU health and tobacco frameworks, the call from patients and doctors alike is clear: COPD must move up the political agenda.
Watch the full recording of the debate here.
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