3 days ago
EU Commission unlocks health funds but leaves civil society reeling from cuts
The European Commission this week finally unveiled its 2025 work programme for its €571 million health budget, EU4Health—a flagship initiative launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen public health across the bloc.
The publication ended months of uncertainty and delay, with deep funding cuts already severely impacting NGOs and civil society groups operating in the health sector.
A Commission spokesperson attributed the delay to several factors including the transition to the new Commission that took office in December 2024 and digestion of updated mission letters for commissioners, which came in September last year.
The need to adjust for earlier budget reallocations was also cited, notably a €1 billion diversion from EU4Health to support Ukraine, announced in February 2024.
But more troubling for health NGOs is what the new programme confirms: a complete elimination of operating grants - funds that support an organisation's core operations - leaving only action grants, which finance specific projects.
'It does not mean that NGOs will not be able to directly participate. It's just that we are doing the funding now differently,' a Commission spokesperson told Euronews, referring to this new focus on action grants rather than operational ones.
But for these organisations, what may appear to be a mere bureaucratic adjustment actually represents a significant structural shift, as much of their core work—such as on digital health and air pollution—does not easily fit into isolated, time-limited projects.
Civil society left in 'survival mode'
The delay to unveiling the work programme left health civil society organisations already unable to plan or secure interim financing, resulting in staff reductions and suspended operations.
'The absence of operating grants has pushed many in our sector into survival mode, especially for us, as a large organisation that has historically relied on them,' Milka Sokolović, director general of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), told Euronews.
As one of the largest health-focused civil society groups in Europe, EPHA has been forced to cut its staff by 40% this year due to the uncertainty and reduced funding.
It's not alone. EURORDIS, the European organisation representing patients with rare diseases, also criticised the cuts.
'It's deeply regrettable that the EU4Health 2025 Work Programme not only confirms the exclusion of operating grants for health NGOs, but also provides few – if any – alternative funding opportunities for civil society,' said Virginie Bros-Facer, CEO of EURORDIS.
"Over the past 20 years, DG SANTE [the Commission's health service] has recognised the value of operating grants as the only funding mechanism that ensures meaningful interaction between civil society and EU institutions," said Florence Berteletti from the European Alcohol Policy Alliance.
She added that operating grants represent only a marginal share of the EU health budget—just 1%.
With cuts in operating grants, many of these NGOs are expected to struggle to stay afloat, as they will no longer be able to fulfil essential roles.
EU, a shrinking space for civil society
The funding shortfall comes amid broader concerns that civil society is being sidelined.
Right-wing criticism of the Commission's funding of environmental NGOs has created a climate some see as increasingly hostile to non-profit organisations.
For Sokolović, the Commission's funding of NGOs exists to balance the influence of wealthier private lobbies.
'It allows us to act as watchdogs for democracy at a time of democratic backsliding. Without it, commercial interests will dominate EU decision-making, unchecked. And I must say — this goes far beyond health,' she said.
The other trend is a reduced space for health actions in the EU's priorities compared to the launch of EU4Health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, designed as the EU's first standalone health budget, with €5.3 billion allocated to strengthen the sector.
But five years on, and in the absence of core support for NGOs, many are now questioning whether public health remains a true EU priority.
