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Health programme

Policy

The EU is required by its founding treaty to ensure that human health is protected as part of all its policies, and to work with the EU countries to improve public health, prevent human illness and eliminate sources of danger to physical and mental health.

The EU's strategy for protecting and improving human health is chiefly implemented by the health programme. It is one of several programmes to implement health policy at EU level.

EU health programme

The current EU health programme funds projects and actions from 2008 to 2013. The annual objectives are shared with those of the Europe 2020 Strategy : investing in health and addressing the issue of the ageing society are priorities. Criteria for funding actions under the programme are set out each year in a workplan, followed by calls for proposals for projects, operating grants, conferences and joint actions. Interested parties can submit an application.

After thorough examination of applications, the Commission selects projects to be funded. Awarding decisions are subsequently published on its Website.

The Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) assists the Commission in implementing the programme.