EU4Health – inclusion of tobacco control in the new European health policy

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a major impact on medical and healthcare personnel, patients, and healthcare systems across Europe. The pandemic has revealed a clear need to strengthen crisis management and healthcare systems across Europe.

EU4Health is the EU's response to this challenge. By investing €9.4 billion, this programme:

- will strengthen the EU's preparedness for major cross-border health threats

- will ensure that health systems are resilient and can cope with epidemics as well as long-term challenges such as population aging, reduction of non-communicable diseases and health inequalities.

The programme should therefore contribute to the prevention of diseases throughout a person's life and to the promotion of health by addressing health risk factors such as the consumption of tobacco and related products and exposure to their emissions, excessive alcohol consumption and the use of illicit drugs, as well as unhealthy eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle and exposure to polluted air.

According to the 2019 WHO report, “Tobacco use in Europe – Trends report 2019,” tobacco use remains a public health problem of the highest importance in the WHO European Region, which has the highest proportion of tobacco use worldwide. In 2018, 18% of deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) were attributable to tobacco use in the European Region, meaning that nearly 1 in 5 premature deaths from NCDs could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use.[1].

To combat NCDs, achieve the WHO health goals and also the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is explicitly recommended to implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, as well as the recommendations of the future EU cancer control plan.

For EU4Health programme actions, cooperation with international organisations such as the WHO, the Council of Europe, the OECD or any other relevant international organisation will be continued, extended or broadened, for example through contributions under the FCTC/Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, etc.