The EPP is calling for the new European Parliament to set up a select committee on health, a proposal opposed by other political groups and stakeholders.
As a new European institutional blueprint is being prepared, the European Parliament’s largest political group has proposed setting up a dedicated health committee, separate from ENVI, the existing body dealing with the environment, public health and food safety.
The European People’s Party wants the new commission to focus on health issues it believes have not received attention in the larger commission, but the idea has been criticised by those who worry that separating issues could jeopardise the cross-disciplinary nature of public health.
During the previous term, health-related discussions typically took place under the ENVI Committee, with subcommittees established for specific topics.
Such subcommittees have been established to address lessons learned from cancer and pandemics, for example.
The closest thing to an autonomous health committee is ENVI’s specialized health subcommittee.
Outgoing MEP Tomislav Sokol (Croatia/European People’s Party) is a strong supporter of the new Commission, saying, “The integration of environment and health in the ENVI Commission seems inconsistent, given the unique and important nature of each field.”
“This commission will help us address public health complexities more effectively and improve the well-being of all European citizens,” Sokol told Euronews.
Political groups are still negotiating the composition of the committee, but German MEP Peter Liese, coordinator of the European People’s Party’s environment committee, seems convinced a split will happen.
“It’s not 100% resolved. […] But there seems to be a growing consensus among the leaders of the different groups,” Riise told reporters.
However, other political groups and interests are resisting the idea.
“I think there are a lot of reasons to have [health committee]”But perhaps even more so, the absence of it,” Nils Torvalds, ENVI coordinator for Renew Europe and member of the European Parliament, told Euronews.
He said the creation of a new health committee would increase the number of reports and decouple the link between health issues and environmental, social, economic and budgetary issues.
The need to maintain a “One Health” approach
This concern is shared by other political groups, who believe the division threatens the so-called “One Health” approach – the principle that human, animal and environmental health are inextricably linked.
Thiry Metz (Luxembourg/Green Party), a member of the European Parliament, told Euronews that leaving health issues to an expert committee risked encouraging a “silo mentality”.
“We must avoid silo thinking because health includes more than medical care and medicines. Public health includes climate and environmental concerns, healthy food, prevention, social policy, research, safety and more, and these are all important,” she added.
The Socialist Group noted that it has always been a strong supporter of the One Health principle, which it said is best put into practice in the ENVI Committee, with the Health Subcommittee remaining intact.
In recent years, the World Health Organization, the European Commission and various health agencies have strongly advocated for this approach and the integration of health into all policies to prepare for threats such as climate change and zoonotic diseases.
Anne Stauffer, vice president of the Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL), said in a press release that separating the commissions would “do a disservice to people at a time when they are increasingly experiencing the health impacts of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.”
Health and Safety at Work
“I think the creation of a permanent health committee would be a big problem if it were to undermine the ability to address occupational safety and health in parallel with other workers’ rights, for example,” Per Clausen, a recently elected left-wing MEP, told Euronews.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) sent an email to MEPs on July 1st calling on them to uphold the powers of the Parliament’s Employment Committee and ensure that occupational safety and health remain within the Commission’s purview.
The letter warned that separating the issues could undermine employers’ obligations and “potentially weaken employers’ responsibility to prevent risks in the workplace and weaken the robust framework that currently holds employers accountable”.
The union added that it was important to note that health competences in the EU remain national and administered by member states, which could make enforcement of laws such as health and safety in the workplace difficult.