Ahead of a policy dialogue at the European Parliament on 15 October, JA PreventNCD highlights the need to turn the case for prevention into sustained funding, stronger delivery capacity and measurable improvements in health.
A healthier population is essential to Europe’s future prosperity. Preventing cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases helps people live healthier lives, reduces pressure on health systems and supports participation in work and society.
The EU’s next long-term budget, the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), offers an opportunity to support these goals. Its funding priorities will help shape what countries, regions and communities can deliver for prevention over the coming years.
The potential benefits are substantial. OECD modelling estimates that, if EU countries achieved the risk-factor levels of the best-performing quarter of OECD and EU countries, premature mortality could be 11.5% lower and annual GDP 1.4% higher, on average over 2026–2050, compared with current projections. This includes improvements in tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, obesity and air pollution.
Realising these benefits requires political commitment, effective policies and sustained investment. The next MFF is an opportunity to put that commitment into practice.
What should the next EU budget deliver?
In its position paper, the JA PreventNCD Consortium calls on EU institutions and Member States to make health promotion, disease prevention and health equity visible, adequately funded and measurable throughout the next MFF.
This means securing clear funding for prevention across relevant EU programmes and national and regional plans. It also means investing in the professionals, institutions and cooperation needed to turn evidence into lasting action.
How success is measured matters too. Alongside tracking expenditure and activities, EU funding should be assessed by its contribution to better health, reduced inequalities and long-term prevention outcomes. These priorities would help connect European investment with improvements in people’s lives.
Bringing prevention into the budget discussion
These priorities will be at the centre of Investing in Health: securing the 2028–2034 MFF for health promotion, disease prevention, and health equity, a policy dialogue organised by EuroHealthNet and JA PreventNCD.
Hosted by European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu, the event will bring together Members of the European Parliament, European Commission and Member State representatives, and public health stakeholders to discuss how the next EU budget can better support prevention and health equity.
The discussion takes place on Thursday, 15 October 2026, from 14:00 to 15:30 CEST, at the European Parliament in Brussels, with participation also available via livestream. Registration is required for both attendance options.
