EHN Statement on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework: Health is Not a Commodity

On 16 July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). In response, the European Heart Network (EHN) has submitted a statement expressing strong concern over the proposed integration of the EU4Health programme into the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).

EHN warns that embedding health in a fund driven by industrial priorities risks reducing public health to an economic tool, undermining disease prevention, equity, and long-term investment in areas like cardiovascular disease (CVD), Europe’s leading cause of death.

EHN urges EU policymakers to:

• Ensure health remains a standalone priority in the EU budget, with a dedicated structure, institutional, strategic independence from industrial competitiveness agenda;
• Reinforce investment in public health and disease prevention, particularly in areas that carry high socio-economic burden, such as CVD;
• Re-centre EU health policy on people rather than markets, by addressing inequalities and acting on social and commercial determinants of health;
• Preserve and build upon the achievements of EU4Health, ensuring that proven mechanisms are strengthened, not absorbed into broader frameworks with conflicting objectives.