REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Implementation of the third programme of EU action in the field of health in 2017
Date: 2020-03-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, disease prevention, e-Health, health care, health care system, implementation of the budget, pharmaceutical legislation, programme budgeting, public health

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 10.3.2020  COM(2020) 88 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Implementation of the third programme of EU action in the field of health in 2017 {SWD(2020) 52 final}  
 
 
INTRODUCTION 

This report presents the implementation of the annual work programme for 2017 (2017 AWP) of the 

third  health  programme  2014-2020  established  by  Regulation  (EU)  No 282/2014  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council 1. In accordance with the Article 13 of the Regulation, the Commission 
must report to the health programme committee2 on the implementation of all actions funded through 

the Programme, and keep the European Parliament and the Council informed. This report meets the 

latter requirement, providing information on the 2017 budget and how it was used. 

The  Commission  staff-working  document  accompanying  this  report  presents  the  key  actions  co-

funded under the third health programme for which final results became available in 2017. It further 

includes  information  on  the  actions  carried  out  under  the  main  thematic  priorities  included  in 

successive  financing  decisions  (promotion  of  health  and  prevention  of  non-communicable  diseases, 

including tobacco, nutrition and mental health; protection against cross-border health threats; patient 

safety;  health  technology  assessment;  results  of  operating  grants).  The  document  also  provides  the 

overview tables detailing all co-funded activities and contracts. 

The 2017 AWP launched six Joint Actions totalling EUR 20.229.410,14 of EU co-funding: 

  Joint Action Health Equity Europe (JAHEE), 

  European Joint Action on vaccination (JAV), 

  Joint Action supporting the eHealth Network(e-Health), 

  Joint Action Information for Action (InfAct), 

  Joint Action Innovative Partnership for Action Against Cancer (iPAAC), and 

  Joint Action Preparedness and action at points of entry (Healthy Gateways). 

These  Joint  Actions,  along  with  other  actions  funded  in  2017,  addressed  several  of  the  health 

programmes objectives. 

The  new  JA  iPAAC  and  JAHEE,  addressing  cancer  prevention  and  health  inequalities,  are  tackling 

important determinants of health, such as tobacco, nutrition and alcohol, as well as access to screening 

programmes  and  cancer  care  and  support,  supporting  objective  1  (Health  promotion  and  disease 

prevention). 

1 Regulation (EU) No 282/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 on the establishment of a third Programme 
for the Union's action in the field of health (2014-2020) and repealing Decision No 1350/2007/EC (OJ L 86, 21.3.2014, p. 1). 
2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0282&from=EN, Chapter V, art.17. 

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Under the objective 2 (Protecting Union citizens from serious cross-border health threats), the focus 

in 2017 was on addressing vaccination hesitancy and improving preparedness and response capacities 

to combat health threats at entry and exit points of the EU (ports, airports and ground crossings). 

Under objective 3 (Contributing to innovative, efficient and sustainable health systems), two important 

Joint Actions were launched, on e-Health and on health information for Action, while a direct grant 

was used to step up the collaboration with the Council of Europe on pharmaceutical products. 

The  first  communication  and  information  campaign  on  the  new  medical  devices  Regulation  (EU) 
2017/7453  was  launched  in  collaboration  with  DG  GROW,  in  support  of  the  health  programme's 

objective 4 (Facilitating access to better and safer healthcare for Union citizens). 

In  2017,  the  Consumers  Health  Agriculture  and  Food  Executive  Agency  (Chafea)  published  the 

second  call  for  proposals  for  a  Framework  Partnership  Agreement  for  operating  grants  to  non-

governmental organisations, covering the period 2018-2021. 

The  Commission  and  Chafea  ensure  that  program  results  are  publicised  widely  through  appropriate 

communication  and  dissemination  activities.  Member  States  and  third  countries  participating  in  the 

Programme are also encouraged to engage in the dissemination of the results of the co-funded actions 

and  to  seek  synergies  with  other  EU  funding  programmes.  This  included  the  organisation  of  the 
national information days in collaboration with the National focal point network4. 

In  parallel  to  these  initiatives,  the  Commission  ensures  that  the  implementation  of  the  third  health 

programme  is  monitored. Two  evaluation  tasks  were  launched  in  2017:  a  “Data  gathering  study”  to 
inform  the  health  policy  options  in  the  Multiannual  Financing  Framework  2021-2027,  and  the  2nd 

external evaluation of Chafea. 

3 Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 
2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 
93/42/EEC (OJ L 117, 5.5.2017, p. 1). 

4 The National Focal Points (NFP) are the national experts for the Health Programme in member states and participating countries. NFP 
representatives are appointed by their national health ministries. The specific role of the NFPs is to assist the Consumers, Health, Agriculture 
and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) in:  Health Programme implementation at national level, Health programme dissemination of results, 
Information on the impact generated by the Health Programme in their respective countries. 

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Table of Contents 

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR ................................................................................................. 4 

BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................. 10 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Priorities ..................................................................................................................... 10 

Execution of the Operational budget by financing mechanism ................................. 13 

Beneficiaries .............................................................................................................. 14 

OTHER MAIN FEATURES .................................................................................................... 15 

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR 

The  2017  AWP  addressed in  a  broad  manner the four  specific  objectives  of  the Health  Programme. 

The inclusion of six Joint Actions, mobilising more than EUR 20 million of EU contribution, supports 

the willingness of the competent authorities of the Member States and other countries participating in 

the programme to work together in key policy areas. 

The  launch  of  the  Joint  Action  on  vaccination  (EU-JAV)5  complements  and  supports  the 
Commission  Communication  regarding  vaccine  preventable  diseases6  and  Council  Recommendation 
on  strengthened  cooperation  against  vaccine-preventable  diseases  7  as  well  as  the  Joint 
Procurement of medical countermeasures initiative8. 

Background 

Vaccination  is  a  major  tool  of  primary  prevention  of  communicable  diseases  and  the  most  cost-

effective  public  health  measure.  Thanks  to  widespread  vaccination,  smallpox  has  been  eradicated, 

Europe  is  polio-free  and  many  other  contagious,  and  for  some  lethal,  diseases  have  almost  been 

eliminated. 

Despite  this  successful  track  record,  several  EU  and  neighbouring  countries  are  currently  facing 

unprecedented  outbreaks  of  vaccine-preventable  diseases  due  to  low  vaccination  coverage  rates. 

Unequal  access  to  vaccines  and  the  waning  of  public  confidence  in  vaccine  safety  are  a  cause  for 

concern and a major challenge for public health authorities. 

Goal 

Coordinated  by  INSERM  (France)  and involving  23  countries  (among  them  20  EU  member  states), 

the  Joint  Action  on  vaccination  aims  to  build  concrete  tools  to  strengthen  national  responses  to 

vaccination challenges in Europe and therefore improve population health.. 

Means 

The Joint Action is currently working on the following areas: 

5 https://eu-jav.com/  

6 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the 
Committee of the Regions: Strengthened Cooperation against Vaccine Preventable Diseases, COM(2018), 26.4.2018 245 final. 
7 Council Recommendation of 7 December 2018 on strengthened cooperation against vaccine-preventable diseases(OJ C 466, 28.12.2018, p. 
1). 

8 https://ec.europa.eu/health/preparedness_response/joint_procurement_en  

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  Establishing sustained cooperation of relevant Member State authorities 

  Defining basic principles for vaccine demand forecasting 

  Developing  a  concept  and  prototype  for  a  data  warehouse  for  EU-wide  sharing  of  vaccine 

supply and demand data/information among dedicated stakeholders 

  Defining common stages and criteria for priority-setting of vaccine research and development 

  Developing a concept and prototype for a vaccine R&D priority setting framework 

  Defining  structural,  technical  and  legal  specifications  as  regards  data  requirements  for 

electronic vaccine registries/databases/immunisation information systems 

  Providing    a  framework  to  cooperate  on  confidence  from  research  to  best  practices  and 

implementation 

The  Joint  Action  Health  Equity  Europe  (JAHEE)9  brought  together  25  EU  Member  States  to 

improve  health  and  well-being  of  European  citizens  and  achieve  greater  equity  in  health  outcomes 

across all groups in society. 

Background 

The effects of health inequalities within and between European countries are widely recognized10, and 
reducing  health  inequalities  is  a  crosscutting  priority  on  the  agenda  of  the  EU11  and  many  other 

countries. Despite an increasing awareness and concern on the impact of health inequalities, political 

response varies widely in Europe. 

Goal 

The Joint Action is currently working on the following areas : 

 

Improving  the  planning  and  development  of  the  policies  to  tackle  health  inequalities  at 

European, national, regional and local level; 

 

Implementing  actions  that  provide  the  best  opportunity  to  tackle  health  inequalities  in  each 

participating country; 

  Strengthening  a  cooperative  approach  in  tackling  health  inequalities  and  facilitate 

exchange and learning among participating countries (sharing and learning approach); 

  Facilitating transferability of best practices among participating countries. 

9 https://jahee.iss.it/  

10 Health inequalities in the EU, Marmot report: 
https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/social_determinants/docs/healthinequalitiesineu_2013_en.pdf  
11 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the period 2014– 20 identifies reducing health inequalities as one of a number of 
priorities. 

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Means 

To achieve its goals the Joint Action is supporting participating countries in: 

  Monitoring  health  inequalities  through  the  development  and  uptake  of  health  indicators  for 

health policy evaluation and prioritization, adapted to the national context and sustainable over 

time; 

 

Identifying  national  strategies,  policies  and  models  of  good  practice  for  healthy  living 

environments including advocacy guidance for decision-makers and stakeholders; 

  Reducing health inequalities in access to health and social services, through the formulation of 

adapted regional, national and local strategies, policies and programs; 

  Strengthening capacity of participating countries to develop and apply a “Health and Equity in 

all policies” approach. 

Under  health  programme  objective  3  (contributing  to  innovative,  efficient  and  sustainable  health 

systems), the collaboration with the Council of Europe on pharmaceutical products was supported 

through  the  signature  of  a  three  year  direct  grant  agreement  with  an  EU  contribution  of 

EUR 3 300 000. 

Background 

Directives 2001/83/EC on medicinal products12 and 2001/82/EC on veterinary medicinal products 

13 

assign  a  central  role  to  the  European  Pharmacopoeia14  in  ensuring  the  quality  of  medicines  in  the 

European  Economic  Area  (EEA).  The  European  Union  is  a  party  to  the  “Convention  on  the 

elaboration of a European Pharmacopoeia” of the Council of Europe, in line with the Council Decision 
94/358/CE15.  The  Council  of  Europe/European  Directorate  for  the  Quality  of  Medicines  and  Health 

care16 ensures the secretariat for the European Pharmacopoeia. 

Goal 

The action aims at: 

12 Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal 
products for human use (OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67). 
13 Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to veterinary 
medicinal products (OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 1). 
14 https://www.edqm.eu/en/european-pharmacopoeia-ph-eur-9th-edition 

15 Council Decision 94/358/E of 16 June 1994 accepting, on behalf of the European Community, the Convention on the elaboration of a 
European Pharmacopeia (OJ L 158, 25.6.1994, p. 17). 
16 The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Health Care is a Directorate of the Council of Europe, https://www.edqm.eu/  

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  Ensuring  the  use  of  harmonised  quality  standards  and  reference  materials  for  biologicals  in 

line with the EU efforts for protection of animals; 

  Ensuring  an  adequate  and  effective  surveillance  of  the  quality  of  marketed  medicines  in 

Europe; and  

  Maintaining  and  further  improving  the  harmonised  identification  of  medicinal  products  in 

Europe and globally. 

Means 

This action supports: 

  The Biological Standardisation Programme by making available new methods for the quality 

control  of  biologicals  as  well  as  reference  standards  that  are  needed  to  perform  the  quality 

assessment methods in the European Pharmacopoeia. 

This 2018-2020 programme will work on the establishment of such reference standards. These 

are  needed  because  stocks  of  previously  established  standards  are  depleted  or  new/revised 

monographs of the European Pharmacopoeia have been created and require them17. 

  The Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCLs) in their role for monitoring the quality 

of medicinal products on the European market through the dedicated OMCL Network. 

During  2018-2020,  the  OMCL  Network  will  take  into  account  newly  authorised  medicinal 

products, medicinal products with a complex formulation or manufacturing process, products 

produced using novel manufacturing or control technology or where difficulties in the testing 

methodology have been encountered previously. 

  The implementation of Quality Management System in all OMCLs, promoting the sharing of 

work, experience, equipment and cost for surveillance of medicines. 

  The role of OMCLs in the detection of falsified medicines as required by the EU legislation 

(Directives 2001/83/EC and 2001/82/EC). 

  The  "Terminology"  project,  which  underpins  the  identification  of  medicinal  products  in  a 

harmonised way across the globe, primarily for pharmaco-vigilance purposes. By maintaining 

the  Standard  Terms  database  of  harmonised  terms  and  definitions  (for  pharmaceutical  dose 

forms, routes and methods of administration, packaging and units of presentation), the action 

strengthens  post-marketing  safety  activity  and  the  global  monitoring  of  suspected  adverse 

events caused by medicinal products. 

17 Special emphasis is given to the development of such methods that can replace, reduce and refine animal experiments for the quality 
control of biologicals, in line with the Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the 
protection of animals used for scientific purposes Text with EEA relevance (OJ L 276, 20.10.2010, p. 33). 

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Under  health  programme  objective  4  (facilitating  access  to  better  and  safer  healthcare  for  Union 

citizens), the communication campaign on the new medical devices Regulation (EU) 2017/745 was 

launched in collaboration with DG GROW. The three-year campaign covers the adaptation phase for 

the enforcement of the said medical devices regulation and is investing circa  EUR 1 600 000 for the 

period 2017-2019. 

Background 

This  campaign  resulted  from  the  adoption  in  April  2017  of  the  two  new  Regulations  on  medical 
devices - Regulation (EU) 2017/745 - and on in vitro medical devices – Regulation (EU) 2017/74618. 

The purpose of the campaign is to make sure that all actors, and first of all the manufacturers, are well 

aware of the changes, new requirements and timelines of the new Regulations. The date of application 

is  May  2020  for  medical  devices  and  May  2022  for  in  vitro  diagnostics  but  there  are  several 

transitional provisions for earlier implementation that all interested parties need to fully understand. 

The adoption of these Regulations shows that the EU takes action to ensure that medical devices on 

the market will be safer for patients and healthcare professionals. The information and communication 

campaign  fitted  into  the  European  Commission’s  President  Jean-Claude  Juncker  priorities  for  'Jobs, 

growth and investments' and 'Internal Market'. 

Goal 

The communication initiative aims at avoiding a disruption in the medical devices market  following 

the latest legislative modifications. There is a need to provide information to all the actors concerned 

by  the  modifications  brought  by  these  new  Regulations.  This  is  relevant  to  EU  and  global 

manufacturers  but  also  to  importers,  distributors,  authorised  representatives,  notified  bodies,  re-

processors  of  single-use  devices,  health  institutions,  healthcare  professionals,  and  competent 

authorities. 

Means 

In order to achieve its objectives, the campaign includes, inter alia: 

  The preparation of a Communication strategy for the campaign. 

18() Regulation (EU) 2017/746 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices and 
repealing Directive 98/79/EC , and Commission Decision 2010/227/EU (OJ L 117, 5.5.2017, p. 176).). 

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  The  establishment  of  a  database  of  actors  to  serve  the  campaign,  including  competent 

authorities, professional and trade organisations as well as patient organisations. 

  Assistance  to  selected  key  stakeholders  for  the  preparation  of  conferences  on  the  new 

Regulations  on  medical  devices  (Regulation  (EU)  2017/745  and  Regulation  (EU) 

2017/746). 

  Production of tailored sets of information material for each type of actor targeted. 

  Preparation of a bi-annual newsletter on the information campaign. 

  Preparation  of  a  media  package,  complemented  with the  media  mapping  and  tailored  media 

packages. 

  Organisation of online webinars and/or online trainings. 

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BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION 

The  overall  budget  for  the  third  health  programme  2014-2020  is  EUR  449.4  million.  This  includes 

EUR 30  million  for  the  operating  costs  of  the  Consumer,  Health,  Food  and  Agriculture  Executive 

Agency (Chafea), mandated by the Commission to manage the health programme 2014-2020. Chafea 

has  been  providing  the  Commission  with  technical,  scientific  and  administrative  assistance  in 
implementing the health programme since 200519. It organises annual calls for proposals, coordinates 

the evaluation of submissions, negotiates, signs and manages grant agreements, and disseminates the 

results of the actions. It is also responsible for many procurement procedures. 

The budget set out in the work plan for 201720 was EUR 61.904.085,00 broken down as follows: 

  Operational  expenditure:  EUR  60.404.085,00  corresponding  to  third  programme  for  the 

Union’s  action  in  the  field  of  health  (2014-2020)  budget  line  17  03  01  (‘Encouraging 

innovation  in  health,  increasing  the  sustainability  of  health  systems  and  protecting  Union 

citizens from serious cross-border health threats’); 

  Administrative  expenditure:  EUR  1.500.000,00;  corresponding  to  the  expenditure  to support 

the third programme for the Union’s action in the field of health (2014-2020) budget line 17 

01 04 02. 

The  operational  budget  totalled  EUR  60.404.085,00  including  EUR  1.574.508,00  of  EFTA/EEA 

credits. 

From  that,  under  the  2017  annual  work  programme,  EUR  60.386.800,00  were  committed.  Chafea 

committed  EUR  46.764.719,17  of  this  budget  while  DG  SANTE  committed  EUR  13.622.080,83 

covering  part  of  procurement  and  other  actions.  From  the  overall  commitment,  the  budget 

implemented was EUR 60.063.178,12 with EUR 323.621,88 of not used credits (0,54%). 

1. 

Priorities 

In 2017, the total operational budget implemented (EUR 60.063.178,12) was divided among the four 

specific Programme objectives as follows: 

19 Commission Implementing Decision of 17 December 2013 establishing the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency and repealing 
Decision 2004/858/EC (OJ L341, 18.12.2013 p. 69);  
20 Commission implementing decision of 26.1.2017 concerning the work programme for 2017 in the framework of the third Programme of 
the Union’s action in the field of health (2014-2020) and the EU financial contribution to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco 
Control, serving as a financing decision, C(2017) 316 final: https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/programme/docs/wp2017_en.pdf . 

10 

 
 
 
                                                      
1.  Health  promotion  -  EUR  22.282.477,74  (37%  of  the  operational  budget)  for  promoting 

health, preventing diseases and fostering supportive environments for healthy lifestyles taking 

into account the ‘health in all policies’ principle; 

2.  Health  threats  -  EUR  7.198.549,97  (12%  of  the  operational  budget)  for  protecting  Union 

citizens from serious cross-border health threats; 

3.  Health  systems  -  EUR  18.059.351,37  (30%  of  the  operational  budget)  for  contributing  to 

innovative, efficient and sustainable health systems; 

4.  Better  and  safer  healthcare  -  EUR  8.560.567,66  (14%  of  the  operational  budget)  for 

facilitating access to better and safer healthcare for Union citizens. 

In  addition,  horizontal  activities  (IT,  communication)  and  transversal  actions  amounted  to 

EUR 3.962.231,38 (7% of the operational budget). 

Figure 1: Operational budget by third Health Programme objective in 2017 

1. Health promotion 
37% 

2. Health threats 
12% 

4. Better and safer 
healthcare 
14% 

5. Horizontal 
activities 
7% 

3. Health systems 
30% 

The figure below provides information about the Health Programme credits invested as EU 

contribution through the different thematic priorities in year 2017. 

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Figure 2: Operational budget per thematic priority in 2017

To  reach  the  described  objectives,  the  Programme  is  implemented  through  a  wide  range  of  funding 

instruments. These are: 

  Project  grants,  including  the  specific  mono  beneficiary  grant  agreements  for  the  European 

Reference Networks; 

  Operating grants in support of non-governmental organisations; 

  Actions co-financed with Member State authorities (Joint Actions); 

  Direct agreements with international organisations; 

  Public procurement; and 

  Other  actions,  such as  support to  the  Scientific  Committees, administrative  agreements  with 

the Joint  Research  Centre,  sub-delegated  budget  to  Eurostat  and transversal actions,  such  as 

grants for Presidency Conferences. 

Competitive criteria and award procedures were used to select the actions for funding. The exception 

to  this  rule  were  Joint  Actions,  direct  grant  agreements  and  conferences  organised  by  Council 

presidencies  because  of  specific  rules  or,  for  instance,  monopoly  situations.  In  the  case  of  Joint 

Actions, the quality of the co-funded actions is ensured by the organisation of a peer-review process, 

whereby  the  draft  proposals  are  evaluated  using  the  AWP  award  criteria  by  external  reviewers, 

SANTE Policy officers and Chafea. 

Administrative  credits  covered  expenditure  such  as  studies  (including  the  external  evaluation  of 

Chafea  and  the  Impact  assessment  of  the  Health  Programme),  meetings  of  experts,  information  and 

publication costs and translations, and technical and administrative assistance for IT systems. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
2. 

Execution of the Operational budget by financing mechanism 

Type of financing mechanism 

Implementation (EUR) 

Share of mechanism in 

total implemented budget  

Calls for proposals: 

Project grants 

10.316.224,31 

0,00 

European Reference Network (ERN) actions SGAs 

4.504.311,91 

under FPA by objective 

Operating grants 

Grants for Joint Actions 

Conference grants to the Member States holding 

the presidency of the EU 

Direct grant agreements 

Procurement  (service  contracts),  prizes  and 

horizontal actions 

Managed by CHAFEA 

Managed by DG SANTE 

Other actions, and transversal actions, except 

Presidency conferences 

Managed by CHAFEA 

Managed by DG SANTE 

Budget implemented of AWP 2017 

Total available budget of AWP 2017 

Credits not used 

by CHAFEA 

 by DG SANTE 

5 811.912.40 

20.229.410,14 

210.059,00 

9.300.000,00 

14.580.482,75 

5.863.073,68 

8.717.409,07 

  5.427.001,92 

663.836,33 

4.763.165,59 

60.063.178,12 

60.386.800,00 

323.621,88 

182.115,71 

141.506,17 

17,18% 

0,00%  

7,50% 

9,68% 

33,68% 

0,35% 

15,48% 

24,28% 

9,76% 

14,51% 

9,04% 

1,11% 

7,93% 

99,46% 

0,54% 

56,27% 

43,73% 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beneficiaries 

3. 
In  2017,  Chafea  and  DG  SANTE  signed  more  than  238  different  grants  and  contracts  with  diverse 

beneficiaries  and  service  providers:  governmental,  academic 
institutions,  non-governmental 
organisations,  private  companies,  and  individual  experts  21.  Other  beneficiaries  include  international 

organisations and EU services (via direct agreements). The total number of beneficiaries is 450, with 

the  two  main  categories  being  private  consultant  companies  (procurement)  and  governmental 

organisations (Joint Actions). 

Figure 3 provides an overview of the different groups of beneficiaries. 

Figure 3:  Types of beneficiaries of the third Health Programme in 2017 

21 The partial total of 238 does not include the contracts with individual experts participating in Scientific Committees, evaluators of calls for 
proposals, etc. 

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OTHER MAIN FEATURES  

The  2017  work  programme  aimed  to  contribute  –in  the  field  of  health–  to  the  priorities  of  the 
Commission as outlined in the political guidelines of the President Juncker22 and the mission letter of 
the Commissioner responsible for Health and Food Safety23. 

Actions co-funded with the Member States' competent authorities (six Joint Actions) were selected to 
support  key  policy  actions.  These Joint  Actions24  brought  together  217  beneficiaries,  including  their 

affiliated entities, and reflect the interest of member states to actively engage in common action in the 

areas  of  cancer  control,  health  inequalities,  vaccination  and  preparedness,  eHealth  and  health 

information. 

Following the adoption of the dissemination strategy for the 3rd health programme (in June 2017) and 

of  its annual  dissemination  plan  for  the same  year,  Chafea  and  DG  SANTE agreed  on  an improved 

method to plan and prepare dissemination activities. To support this objective, Chafea produced: 

  A  revamped  project  database,  allowing  stakeholders  to  have  an  organised  access  to  project 

deliverables. 

  A set of visual depictions illustrating the different topics covered by the health programme. 

  Online tutorials (videos posted on its website to assist applicants and beneficiaries). 

  Regular news items for the web or social media to inform stakeholders of projects' activities 

and results. 

  Chafea has also participated in the Europe Day in Luxembourg, organised in cooperation with 

SANTE. 

Focusing  on  the  key  communication  priorities  indicated  by  DG  SANTE,  and  in  addition  to  several 

other events, Chafea prepared: 

  A  Rare  Disease  Registries  workshop  and  stand  exhibition  in  Madrid,  Spain  attracting  the 

interest of 160 participants in March 

  A  workshop  and  stand  exhibition  in  the  framework  of  the  International  Integrated  care 

conference in Dublin, Ireland, in May (211 participants) 

22 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/president-junckers-political-guidelines_en  

23 https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/health-and-food-safety/what-we-do-health-and-food-safety_en  

24 In 2017 there were six Joint Actions with a total of 160 nominated competent authorities, reaching 217 beneficiaries, after inclusion of the 
affiliated entities. The average number of participants for Joint Actions in 2017 was 36 partners. 

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  A cluster meeting titled "Migration and Health: paths for integration", in Brussels, Belgium, in 

September 

  A Cluster meeting on non-communicable diseases, in Odense, Denmark, in October. 

Concerning the monitoring of the programme implementation, Chafea reviewed the operating grants 

awarded under the Framework Partnership Agreements 2014-2017 with the help of external experts. 

The  review  concluded  that  the  objectives  set  out  in  the  Framework  Partnership  Agreements  were 

relevant to the health programme objectives, as well as to the objectives of EU public health policy; 

that  the  beneficiary  organisations  implemented  the  multi-annual  work  programmes  set  out  in  the 

agreements  with  minor  deviations;  and  that  high-quality  reports  and  tools  were  produced.  It  also 

identified areas for improvement: administrative processes, links between the selection of NGOs and 

the priorities of the program, and the monitoring framework.  

More information on the results of the Framework Partnership Agreements can be found at the Health 
Programme database25. 

25 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/chafea_pdb/health/search?context=HOME&texttosearch=operating+grant  

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