How to watch the Committee on Public Health (SANT)

ECA audit findings on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

The European Court of Auditors presents its assessment of the Beating Cancer Plan’s implementation, flagging achieved initiatives, risks of overlaps, data gaps, weak indicators and sustainability issues, and issuing recommendations on coherence, funding and monitoring.

In this chapter

1. ECA audit: implementation status of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
2. ECA audit: overlaps, data gaps, sustainability and recommendations

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Opening of meeting and Cancer Plan audit context

Stine Bosse Renew

The acting chair opens the ENVI Public Health session, adopts the agenda and previous minutes, appoints rapporteurs, and introduces the European Court of Auditors’ special report on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, with the auditor outlining objectives, funding architecture, implementation status, inequalities, governance gaps and key recommendations accepted by the Commission.

In this chapter

1. Opening of meeting, agenda and rapporteursStine Bosse
2. ECA Special Report on Cancer Plan: presentationStine Bosse

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Ukraine health under war: context and first exchanges

The Chair and Ukrainian Health Committee Chair Radutskyi outline the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine’s health system, EU solidarity measures and Ukraine’s health reforms, followed by MEPs’ interventions on reconstruction, twinning, rehabilitation and mental health and Radutskyi’s detailed replies on joint projects, observer participation and rebuilding hospitals within a shared European health space.

In this chapter

1. Exchange with Ukraine: health system under war and EU solidarity
2. MEPs’ interventions on Ukraine: twinning, reconstruction and mental health
3. Radutskyi’s response: proposals for joint projects and observer participation

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Panel 2: EU coordination, patient perspective and policy asks

Panel 2 focuses on European‑level collaboration and patient experience in neurological and mental disorders, including calls for an EU brain health coordination plan, a joint brain‑and‑mental‑health strategy, sustainable funding, research models, measurable 2035 targets and harmonised newborn screening, with experts advocating integrated strategies, co‑funded partnerships and concrete EU‑level goals.

In this chapter

1. Panel 2 opening: European collaboration on neurological health
2. Dr Galvin: patient perspective, stigma and case studies
3. Professor Zuberi: brain health across life course and EU coordination plan

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Panel 1: prevention, neurotechnology and MEPs’ questions

Tomislav Sokol PPE

Panel 1 examines dementia risk factors, public perception and life‑course prevention alongside cutting‑edge MRI‑guided brain gene therapy, then MEPs question experts on EU support for advanced therapies, integrating prevention in health systems, research models and early diagnosis, with replies stressing citizen education, translational trials and current limits and costs of gene therapies.

In this chapter

1. Panel 1 intro: focus on prevention and neurotechnology
2. Professor Vardello: dementia risk factors, prevention evidence and public perception
3. Professor Ząbek: real‑time MRI-guided brain gene therapy

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Brain health hearing: burden, prevention and EU neurological plan

The Chair launches the public hearing on brain health and neurological diseases; Professor Hull details the burden, biology and demographic projections of neurodegenerative diseases and proposes an EU neurological health plan centred on prevention, reducing inequalities, early detection, data infrastructures and translational research within EU regulatory frameworks.

In this chapter

1. Introduction to public hearing on brain health and neurological diseases
2. Professor Hull: burden, biology and projections of neurodegenerative diseases
3. Professor Hull: prevention, research innovation and call for EU neurological plan

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ECF draft opinion: health window and ring‑fencing debate

Committee opens with the draft opinion on the European Competitiveness Fund, where rapporteur and shadows debate ring‑fencing for health, subsidiarity, EU4Health/HERA safeguards and the balance between flexibility and protecting EU‑level health funding, followed by the Commission’s defence of the ECF design and procedural next steps, including the amendments deadline.

In this chapter

1. Opening and agenda: ECF draft opinion
2. Rapporteur Kanev: priorities for ECF health window
3. Shadows (S&D, Patriots, Renew, Left): ring‑fencing, subsidiarity, affordability
4. Commission and rapporteur reaction: flexibility vs health protection, next steps

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Critical Medicines Act trilogue debrief and meeting closure

Adam Jarubas and 13 others

Rapporteur Sokol briefs members on the state of trilogue negotiations on the Critical Medicines Act, including the agreed four‑column document, next technical‑level talks, and timing of the second political trilogue, before the Chair closes the sitting with practical information on the afternoon resumption and special plenary on Ukraine.

In this chapter

1. Critical Medicines Act trilogue: rapporteur debriefAdam Jarubas
2. Closure of meeting and announcement of plenaryAdam Jarubas

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Chair’s conclusions and 2027 budget guidelines vote

Adam Jarubas PPE

The Chair closes the rare diseases item and moves to the 2027 EU budget guidelines, explaining the procedure, running a test of the electronic voting system, and holding the final roll‑call vote that adopts the committee’s opinion to the Budgets Committee.

In this chapter

1. Chair’s conclusions and transition to budget voteAdam Jarubas
2. Setup and test for 2027 budget guidelines voteAdam Jarubas
3. Final vote on 2027 budget guidelines opinionAdam Jarubas

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Experts’ replies on coordination, competences and innovation

Experts respond on newborn screening coordination, legal limits and options for EU‑level action, joint procurement and pricing information exchange, give examples of existing efficiencies such as ERNs and research funding, and argue that better collaboration and predictable evidence pathways can support innovation incentives.

In this chapter

1. Experts’ replies: coordination, procurement and legal limits
2. Experts on existing efficiencies, trade gaps and innovation climate

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MEP questions on EU role in rare diseases

Nicolás González Casares and 12 others

The rapporteur and MEPs question the experts on minimum EU principles, ERNs, delayed diagnosis, pricing and reimbursement of orphan medicines, innovation and clinical trials, funding, trade policy implications, and the balance between national and potential shared competences in rare diseases policy.

In this chapter

1. Rapporteur Q&A: minimum principles and ERNsNicolás González Casares
2. MEPs’ first round: diagnosis delays, pricing and innovationElena Nevado del Campo
3. MEPs’ innovation and reimbursement concernsBilly Kelleher

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Opening and presentation of rare diseases study

Adam Jarubas PPE

The Chair opens the public health committee meeting, confirms the agenda and introduces the rare diseases INL file, followed by EPRS and external experts outlining the European Added Value Assessment, key policy bottlenecks, proposed EU measures and conclusions on consolidating existing tools, notably European Reference Networks.

In this chapter

1. Opening of meeting and agenda adoptionAdam Jarubas
2. EAVA concept and study methodology
3. Current bottlenecks in rare diseases policy

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