In the face of potential health challenges or threats, even though European citizens generally have fairly easy access to a full range of medical services, there’s a clear need for enhanced cooperation within the Union. Our future does not lie in independence but in unity.

This vision must be reflected in the seamless coordination of healthcare policies, the constant exchange of crucial information and the establishment of mechanisms for anticipation and instantaneous reaction. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial importance of collaboration between EU Member States to address a global health crisis successfully.

By proposing the strategic relocation of medicines and medical equipment production within the European Union, we will secure the entire supply chain of essential products, thus reducing our dependence on external sources.

By promoting common, comparable and interoperable parameters, we will catalyse the efficient collection and analysis of health data across Europe. We will then be able to monitor epidemics in real time and adjust our public health strategies accordingly.

We want to strengthen the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control by equipping it with a new capacity to analyse digital data (big data). We would like to dedicate this centre to our late colleague Véronique Trillet-Lenoir, an eminent doctor and respected politician.

However, we will always balance this quest for efficiency with unfailing vigilance in terms of data confidentiality and security. Guided by the highest standards, we will promote cooperation between Member States.