The EU health agenda 2019-2024

Abstract

On 2 July 2019, Dr Ursula von der Leyen, who is a physician, was proposed by the European Council as the candidate for the office of President of the European Commission. She was elected by the European Parliament on 16 July. At the beginning of September 2019, President von der Leyen presented the political guidelines for the next European agenda 2019- 2024, headed by the theme 'A Union that strives for more, my agenda for Europe'. Furthermore, on 10 September 2019, the President-elect of the European Commission sent mission letters to all Commissioner designates, in which the respective portfolios of the commissioners designate were elaborated. The one sent to the Commissioner-designate for Health Stella Kyriakides, together with the political guidelines provide a glimpse of the Health Agenda of the Commission for the period 2019- 2024. The von der Leyen Commission came in office on 1 December 2019, following a positive vote in the European Parliament on 27 November 2019. The 2014-2019 Commission led by President Juncker was guided by the political guidelines' headed by the theme 'A New Start for Europe: My Agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change'. Throughout its mandate the Juncker Commission focused on the following ten priorities: 1. A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment, 2. A Connected Digital Single Market, 3. A Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy, 4. A Deeper and Fairer Internal Market with a Strengthened Industrial Base, 5. A Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary Union, 6. A Balanced and Progressive Trade Policy to Harness Globalisation, 7. An Area of Justice and Fundamental Rights Based on Mutual Trust, 8. A New Policy on Migration, 9. A Stronger Global Actor, and 10. A Union of Democratic Change. [excerpt]