Brussels, May 21, 2025 – Over the past two days, representatives from the Cross-agency One Health Task Force, comprising five EU Agencies (ECDC, EMA, EFSA, EEA and ECHA), convened in Brussels with officials from the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and other European Commission services to advance coordination and implementation of the One Health approach in the EU.
The meeting, hosted by DG SANTE, is aimed to strengthen dialogue between the Task Force and Commission services, fostering a regular exchange on priorities related to One Health. Participants discussed progress on implementing the Cross-agency One Health Task Force Framework for Action, outlining next steps for enhanced collaboration.
At the meeting, the establishment of the interagency AMR working group to ensure effective exchange of information on AMR was announced.
The meeting discussed the implementation of the Scientific Advice Mechanism opinion on One Health governance in the EU, with agencies, together with Commission services, exploring ways to support implementation of the six recommendations. The discussions highlighted the importance of a coordinated approach to public health, animal health, and environmental challenges.
This meeting highlighted the increasing focus on One Health, which is now strongly featuring at global level following yesterday’s adoption of the Pandemic Agreement at the 78th World Assembly establishing a strengthened Health Security framework.
The European Commission and the EU Agencies reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation, emphasising the need for strong inter-sectoral coordination to drive forward the One Health agenda in light of its growing international recognition.
Roser Domenech, Director for One Health at DG SANTE said “Today is an important step forward in building a One Health approach in the EU. With a strengthened Health Security framework that improves the EU’s capacity in prevention, preparedness, surveillance, early warning and response, working closely with our EU agencies, is key to ensure data gathering and response systems to better prepare for the risks of tomorrow.”
