The results are in: EU's third Health Programme is on track and having impact
The EU Health Programme is evaluated midway through and at the end of its six-year term to make sure that public spending is justified and produces real benefits, explains Deputy Director-General for Health and Food Safety Martin Seychell. The mid-term evaluation of the third Health Programme (2014-2020) assessed the relevance of the projects it funds in meeting real health needs and challenges, the effectiveness of the Programme's management, its efficiency and coherence with other Union policies and Programmes and its expected impacts. Seychell explains more about the Health Programme itself and the results of this recent evaluation.
What is the purpose of the third Health Programme?
The third EU Health Programme, with a total budget of € 449.4 million, is the European Commission's main financial tool used to fund actions that complement, support and add value to Member State health policies. Priority areas and the criteria for funding actions under the programme are outlined in annual work plans prepared by the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety and adopted by the Commission after consultation with Member States.
The Health Programme has four main objectives: to promote health, prevent diseases and foster supportive environments for healthy lifestyles; to protect EU citizens from serious cross-border health threats, to contribute to innovative, efficient and sustainable health systems and to help provide all EU citizens with access to better and safer healthcare.
More than 539 actions have been or are being funded through the third Health Programme from 2014 to 2016, for a total cost of €165.6 million.
How does the Health Programme benefit EU citizens?
The Health Programme encourages Member States to cooperate and make progress on issues of common interest. While each Member State is responsible for the quality of health and health care for its citizens, we can often achieve more by working together at EU level, for instance in the area of rare diseases where the new European Reference Networks are helping to bring the expertise of often hard-to-find specialists to EU patients who need it, no matter where they live.
What were the results of the most recent evaluation?
The results were encouraging, showing that the Programme is on track and is having real impact, with major achievements including:
- establishing 24 European Reference Networks for rare diseases;
- supporting Member States to increase their capacity-building to respond to cross-border outbreaks (e.g. Ebola and Zika viruses);
- contributing to the EU's migration policy by supporting Member States to respond to the health needs of a high influx of migrants and refugees; and
- training health professionals and other front-line staff to handle the health needs of these migrants and refugees.
Who conducts the evaluation?
The evaluation is based on an external study conducted by a consortium composed of Coffey International, Economisti Associati and SQW.
What can we expect from the second half of the third Health Programme's term?
Expect continued support in the areas of crisis preparedness and management and support for Member States working to reform their health systems and to reach sustainable development goals. The third Health Programme will also continue to help with the implementation of health legislation for cross-border health care, medicinal products, medical devices, the tobacco products directive, the decision on cross-border health threats and legislation for substances of human origin. We will also be working to strengthen and build links between the Health Programme and the wider policy agenda so that it will have an even greater impact.
Activities at EU level
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European Commission – Health and Food Safety |
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European Commission – Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency |
News
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The mid-term evaluation of the first three years of the implementation of the third Health Programme reveals that the European Commission has made major progress towards reaching the programme's objectives. |
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Read the mid-term evaluation reports and summary online The Commission Report, the Commission Staff Working Document and the Executive Summary of the mid-term evaluation of the third Health Programme are all open and accessible to the public. |
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List of National Focal Points updated The National Focal Points are the national experts for the Health Programme in Member States and participating countries. They are appointed by their national health ministries and assist Chafea in the implementation of the Health Programme. |
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Find out more about the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency's activities! CHAFEA performs tasks entrusted to it by the Commission, including the implementation of the Health Programme, and works closely with the Directorate Generals for Health and Food Safety, Justice and Consumers and Agriculture and Rural Development. It is based in Luxembourg. |
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EU to spend €7.5 bn between 2014 – 2020 on research to improve European healthcare The investments are being made through the European Commission's research programme, Horizon 2020. |
Health Programme Projects
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Find projects and actions funded through the Health Programmes on CHAFEA's updated database The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency's extensive database has recently been revamped, making it even easier to find out more about any project funded through the EU Health Programme. |
Other interesting links
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Factsheet: The Third Health Programme (2014 – 2020) Funding Health Initiatives The programme's main objectives, challenges and expected results are explained clearly and briefly in this factsheet. |
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Find info sheets, press packs, brochures, booklets and more, all related to projects funded through the Health Programme. |