European Commission (EC)
WHO and the European Commission: a partnership for health
Developments in recent years have been rich in opportunities, underlining the importance of cooperation in global health to address health challenges.
The strategic partnership between WHO and the European Commission has consolidated and expanded over the past years with the commitment to promoting and improving human health in the European Region as well as globally.
This cooperation between both organizations respects the strengths of and complementarities with the shared aim of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by making the greatest possible contribution to improving health outcomes.
Moreover, the financial and administrative framework agreement (FAFA) between the European Commission and the United Nations was signed in 2003 and further updated in 2018.
The framework of collaboration
The exchange of letters of 14 December 2001 sets out the framework for cooperation between the European Commission and WHO, as well as its objectives, priorities, areas of collaboration, procedures, activities and practical arrangements for implementation.
The agreement linked a number of priority areas including:
- health information
- communicable diseases
- tobacco control
- environment and health
- sustainable health development
- health research.
This framework of cooperation, which remains valid, invites both organizations to review ongoing cooperation and future plans of work in order to take stock and further enhance cooperation on an annual basis and/or when necessary. These regular Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) take place with the political and strategic oversight of the WHO Director-General, the WHO Regional Director for Europe and the European Commissioner in charge of public health.
WHO–European Commission cooperation was further developed in the Moscow Declaration of September 2010, which seeks to strengthen policy dialogue and technical cooperation on public health.
At the 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in 2020, the European Commission and WHO/Europe issued a joint statement to boost their already strong partnership and adapt it to new health priorities and emerging challenges.
The document calls for closer partnership between WHO/Europe and the European Commission in 5 priority areas of shared interest:
- health security against health emergencies and other threats
- effective, accessible, resilient and innovative health systems
- a comprehensive response to noncommunicable diseases with a focus on cancer
- sustainable food systems and health
- health cooperation with non-European Union countries in the WHO European Region
A more concrete plan outlining projects and steps of cooperation will be developed in the coming months. Overall, the agreement aims at:
- fostering technical, policy and geographical synergies
- strengthening citizens’ voices and trust in health and food authorities
- maximizing support to countries.
