Health for Growth: EU health programme (2014-20)

In 2014, the European Union (EU) launched its third health programme. The programme aims to foster health in Europe by encouraging cooperation between EU countries to improve the health policies that benefit their citizens and also encourages the pooling of resources where economies of scale can provide optimal solutions.

ACT

Regulation (EU) No 282/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a third Programme for the Union's action in the field of health (2014-2020) and repealing Decision No 1350/2007/EC.

SUMMARY

The health programme aims to improve Europeans' health and reduce health inequalities by complementing Member States’ health policies in four ways. It is designed to:

• promote good health and prevent disease: here, countries would exchange information and good practices on how to deal with various risk factors such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles;
• ensure that citizens are protected from cross-border health threats: increased international travel and trade mean that we are potentially exposed to a wider range of health threats than in the past, requiring a rapid and coordinated response;
• support innovation and sustainability in EU countries' health systems: the programme seeks to help capacity building in the health sector, find optimal ways of making scarce resources go further and encourage the uptake of innovations in approaches, working practices, as well as technologies;
• improve access to quality and safe healthcare: this means, for example, ensuring that medical expertise is available beyond national borders by encouraging the creation of networks of centres of expertise across the EU.

Actions to be funded

Various types and levels are funding are possible under the regulation (see Article 7). Projects must be able to demonstrate the clear value of EU intervention over spending by individual countries (EU added value).

There are also rules for projects of exceptional utility when at least 30 % of the budget of the proposed action is allocated to Member States whose gross national income per head is under 90% of the EU average, with at least 14 countries participating in the action. For such cases, the EU contribution may be up to 80 % of eligible costs.

EU support should not exceed 60 % of eligible costs for an action relating to an objective of the programme or for the functioning of a non-governmental body.

Eligibility

The programme is also open to other countries such as members of the European Economic Area, candidates or potential candidates for EU membership and certain other neighbouring countries (see Article 6).

Budget

Over the 2014-20 period, funding of almost EUR 450 million is available for eligible projects.

Last updated: 28.07.2014