European Parliament hearings of designated Commissioners: Step up on health protection and disease prevention

HEAL has published suggestions for Members of European Parliament on what questions to ask candidates for Commissioner positions. From 4 – 12 November, the European Parliament will hold hearings with all candidates for the Commission 2024-2029. 

People’s health is threatened like never before by climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. EU action to protect health and prevent disease from this triple crisis needs to be swiftly strengthened.  

The scientific evidence on how the triple crisis threatens and already impacts people’s health across the European Union has steadily increased and underlines the need for urgent action to prevent further suffering’ and economic impacts. The health of children, the elderly, those living with disease, and those experiencing socio-economic disadvantages and health inequalities is particularly at risk.    

The mission letters include commitments to continue the EU’s decarbonisation path, and to protect nature. However, measures to reduce pollution – in the air, water, soil, in people’s food and consumer products – seem to have been deprioritised in favour of increasing the competitiveness of Europe’s industry and agricultural sector. 

HEAL has prepared a briefing with suggested questions for the hearings of  

• Executive Vice-President-designate Teresa Ribera Rodriguez – Clean, Just and Competitive Transition 
• Executive Vice-President-designate Stéphane Séjourné - Prosperity and Industrial Strategy 
• Commissioner-designate Jessica Roswall - Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy  
• Commissioner-designate Oliver Varhelyi  – Health and Animal Welfare 
• Commissioner-designate Wopke Hoekstra - Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth 

The document includes HEAL resources and demands on REACH reform and PFAS deliberations, pesticides reduction and phase out in upcoming Vision on Agriculture and Food, health protection for the EU’s 2040 climate target and adaptation strategy, as well as clean air and zero pollution. 

“People across the EU look to decision-makers to better protect their health from climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. We need to see decisive action by this new EU Commission, especially on pollution, at the top decision-making level. Health groups call on MEPs to ensure that a disease-preventative approach is embedded in all upcoming legislative, budgetary and financial initiatives over the next five years. To achieve a strong Europe, we need leaders unafraid to prioritise health“, states Genon K. Jensen, Executive Director of HEAL. 

Click here for the full document