PAREA responds to consultation on EU4Health 2027 Work Programme
PAREA has submitted its contribution to the European Commission’s consultation on the EU4Health 2027 Work Programme. Established in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, EU4Health is the EU’s flagship health funding programme, designed to strengthen the European Health Union, improve health system resilience, and support common health priorities across Member States. The consultation seeks stakeholder input on the strategic priorities that should guide the programme’s final year in 2027.
In our submission, we argue that the programme should focus on strengthening health systems’ capacity to respond to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, centering mental health as a core public health priority. Despite their profound impact on public health, productivity, and social cohesion, mental health conditions remain under-prioritised relative to their burden.
PAREA calls for increased support for prevention, early intervention, access to care, workforce development, digital tools, data infrastructure, and the implementation of evidence-based innovation. We also highlight the need to help Member States translate promising innovations into routine care by supporting pilots, registries, training frameworks, outcome measurement, and cross-border learning.
Particular attention should be given to building capacity for complex mental health interventions that combine clinical, psychological, digital, pharmacological, and community-based components. Such approaches often face fragmented implementation pathways and require specialised training, standards, safeguards, and infrastructure to ensure safe and effective delivery. EU4Health can play an important role in helping Member States prepare for these emerging models of care and share best practices across Europe.
Mental health should not be treated as a standalone social issue but integrated across EU priorities on healthcare workforce, digital transformation, access to care, and evidence-based policymaking. A strong European Health Union requires mental health to be at the centre of its public health agenda.
Read our full submission here.
