Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Health Policy Goals

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn has set the following three health policy goals for the Council Presidency:

  • Europe must find ways to reshore the manufacture of essential medicinal products and medical devices (such as face masks) to Europe and build a European stockpile.

  • Europe must become more attractive for research. This requires data. Spahn therefore wants to drive the creation of a European health data space.

  • European public health organisations such as ECDC and EMA must be strengthened to be able to work on equal terms with their American counterparts.

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On 16 July 2020, the health ministers of the European Union (EU) joined the Informal Meeting of Health Ministers within the framework of Germany’s EU Council Presidency via video stream. Items on the agenda included strengthening the ECDC, securing medicinal product supply in the EU and setting up a European Health Data Space.

Photo Gallery: Some impressions from the Informal Meeting of EU Health Ministers within the framework of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU on 16 July 2020.

At the press conference held with Portugal’s Minister of Health Marta Temido, Slovenia’s Minister of Health Tomaž Gantar and EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, Spahn declared: “Together we must strengthen Europe’s resilience."

Key priorities of the German EU Council Presidency

Working together to combat the corona pandemic and strengthening our ability to respond to health crises are the key priorities of Germany’s Council Presidency in the area of health. Here, as in other areas of healthcare provision, digitalisation offers great opportunities and is therefore one of the key topics.

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Last change: 30. December 2021
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