HEAL together with representatives from the medical, scientific, and civil society sectors, is calling on policymakers in Poland to develop a national action plan to reduce the health impacts of harmful chemicals and to support the revision of EU regulations. The appeal was presented on 10 June in Warsaw during the International Conference Preventing Disease by Reducing Exposure to Harmful Chemicals, held under the patronage of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Polish Minister of Health, and the President of the Polish Supreme Medical Council.
HEAL has given input to a consultation on priorities for the next EU long-term budget 2028-2034. The EU budget sets the framework for public spending on EU policies: Now is the time to set the EU on the path for ambitious investments into protection Europeans’ health against climate and environmental threats, especially pollution.
In our response, we recommend to
- step up EU investments in health protection instead of money for pollution
- strengthen health safeguards and performance, and to
- end EU subsidies for fossil fuels by 2027.
The European Commission’s public consultation was divided in several thematic areas, as the EU executive is considering changing the architecture of the budget to better fit with the current policy priorities (competitiveness, security, strategic autonomy).
In our responses, we identified major effectiveness, coherence, and spending gaps that undermine the EU’s environmental and health ambitions. These gaps should be urgently addressed to ensure that the next EU MFF paves the way for reducing the substantial health cost of pollution, as well as for increasing investments to protect people’s health against the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
HEAL has submitted a response to EU funding for competitiveness and to implementing EU funds with Member States and region. Overall, HEAL stressed that the next EU budget for 2028-2034 should place health at the centre of its spending and investment priorities, thus urging the European Commission to:
Step up investments in better health, not pollution
- At least 50% of the next EU budget should address climate, environmental, and pollution challenges, with 10% specifically allocated to zero pollution objectives.
- All EU funds should integrate pollution reduction and health protection and ensure preparedness for vulnerable groups.
This will result in adequate financing of zero pollution action, including for clean air, improved climate preparedness, and reduced health inequalities.
Strengthen health safeguards and performance
- Make health impact assessments (HIAs) mandatory across all EU-funded programmes and integrate public health indicators into performance frameworks.
- Ensure funding is conditional on delivering pollution-related health improvements, and support Member States to build resilient, climate-prepared health systems.
This will result in harm-free investments, greater transparency and accountability of health outcomes, and strengthened health systems.
Phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2027
- All direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies must end, and EU funding must be redirected to pollution remediation, clean energy, and public health adaptation measures.
This will result in reduce health costs, lower pollution levels, and greater EU added value to achieve a just transition.
Find more in HEAL’s position paper on the next MFF.
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