SANT – ICM on Lessons Learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Strengthening EU Health Resilience and Preparedness for Future Global Health Crises
10 November 2026
Contents updated on 10 Nov 2026
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SANT European Parliament
Follow its sittings00:07 - 04:25
Speaker 1
Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, members of national parliaments, it's a great pleasure for me to open today's interparliamentary committee meeting on lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening the EU health resilience and preparedness for future global health crisis, and to welcome you all to the European Parliament. I'm particularly pleased to welcome our colleagues from national parliaments. We are joined today by 21 members from 13 national parliaments and chambers representing 11 member states. Your participation reflects the importance of a continued interparliamentary dialogue on matters of public health and preparedness for future crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented challenge for the European Union and its member states.
It exposed vulnerabilities in our health systems, tested our capacity to coordinate responses across borders and highlighted the importance of effective preparedness, timely decision-making and cooperation between European and national authorities. At the same time, the pandemic demonstrated the importance of solidarity, scientific cooperation and resilient healthcare system in responding to public health emergencies. Today, our objective is not only to reflect on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, but above all to look ahead and consider how we can apply them to better prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. We must move beyond identifying what worked and what did not and focus on concrete steps needed to strengthen our collective capacity to anticipate, prepare for and respond to future health crisis. This means ensuring more effective coordination between the European Union and its member states, reinforcing our preparedness and response mechanism and building more resilient health systems capable of protecting citizens and maintaining essential healthcare services even in times of crisis.
As we reflect on the lessons of the pandemic, we must also recognise that for many citizens, its consequences are far from over. Long COVID continues to affect patients and their families, often with profound consequences for their health, professional lives and independence. Many patients still face significant challenges in obtaining a diagnosis, accessing appropriate care and finding effective treatments. These challenges underline the importance of continued research, greater recognition of the condition and better coordination of care. They also remind us that strengthening health resilience means not only preparing for the immediate response to future crisis, but also ensuring that our health systems are equipped to address their longer-term consequences.
Against this background, the exchange between the European Parliament and national parliaments is of particular importance. While the European Union has strengthened its role in health emergency preparedness and response, national authorities remain central to the organisation and delivery of healthcare. Parliamentary scrutiny and cooperation at both levels are therefore essential. Our discussion today will be structured around two sessions. The first session will focus on EU's health crisis preparedness architecture, including coordination, emergency response and scrutiny of supply.
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