In 2024, the European Union took comprehensive steps to protect its citizens from threats both inside and outside its borders, as work began to ensure that Europe is better prepared to respond to major crises. The EU continued to step up measures to boost European security and defence and introduced new measures to combat human trafficking, drug trafficking and organised crime. 2024 also marked the start of a new era in managing migration. With the Pact on Migration and Asylum now in place, the EU has the tools to manage migration in an orderly way based on the principles of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility. The important work to lay the ground for the reforms got under way as the Member States prepared their national implementation plans. Another milestone was reached following the decision in December to lift controls at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025. The EU also continued working to protect citizens’ health as it proceeded with reforms to medicines legislation. New initiatives were introduced, including important measures to improve mental health and well-being, particularly among children and young people.

Major crises over recent years, such as the global pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and catastrophic weather events driven by climate change, have proved to be neither isolated nor transitory events. They underline the fact that Europe needs to be prepared for and ready to respond to any crisis at any time. Strengthening Europe’s preparedness - open a new tab. for future crises is crucial to ensuring the protection of citizens and the smooth running of the EU’s economies and societies.

The Sauli Niinistö report Safer Together - open a new tab., published in October, assesses the complex challenges facing the EU and sets out how it can boost civilian and military preparedness and readiness for future crises. The report presents around 80 recommendations for short-term and medium-to-long-term measures to help build comprehensive preparedness. Building on these proposals, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy are developing the Preparedness Union Strategy, which will involve mobilising actors across all levels of government (from the local to the EU level and from civilian authorities to the armed forces) and engaging all parts of society (the private sector, civil society and citizens).

Building defence capabilities

The EU Member States are already working together to tackle security threats and challenges through a common strategic vision for EU security and defence for the coming years.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has prompted the EU to make Europe’s defence industries stronger, more responsive and more innovative. The first European Defence Industrial Strategy - open a new tab., presented in March, aims to ensure that the EU has its defence systems and equipment ready when needed. This will benefit not only the EU, but also key allies including NATO and Ukraine. The strategy is backed up by a €1.5 billion funding programme - open a new tab. for 2025–2027 to ready the European defence industry.

As well as steadily increasing their defence spending, Member States are encouraged to jointly procure defence products, with a focus on supporting the European defence industries. In November, five cross-border projects were selected for funding under the new EU programme aimed at incentivising cooperation in defence procurement. Together, these projects represent the combined procurement of more than €11 billion worth of defence products for the armed forces of the Member States. The projects selected involve 20 Member States, with most including the procurement of defence products intended for Ukraine.

At the same time, the implementation of the first industrial ramp-up of ammunition production - open a new tab. is already bearing fruit. More than €500 million in grants has been allocated, and European artillery ammunition production has increased capacity to 1 million loaded shells per year.

Three years after its launch, the European Defence Fund - open a new tab. has already committed €4 billion in support of 160 collaborative defence projects, covering a wide range of technologies and capabilities and supporting the competitiveness of the European defence industry. The launch of the EU’s new Defence Equity Facility - open a new tab. aims to improve access to finance for the defence sector and support a thriving system of defence start-ups and small businesses.

In line with its Action Plan on Military Mobility - open a new tab., the EU is funding 38 new projects - open a new tab. that will improve the transport of troops and equipment along the Trans-European Transport Network. With a budget of €807 million, these projects will upgrade key transport infrastructure in the EU for both civilian and military transport. A new Military Mobility Pledge - open a new tab. was adopted in 2024 to address remaining gaps in military mobility.

Tackling security threats

A report - open a new tab. on progress under the Security Union Strategy, published in May, shows that the wealth of legislative and operational measures taken since its adoption have made the EU better equipped to face security challenges. However, the constantly evolving landscape of threats means that every opportunity must be taken to address potential vulnerabilities.

Hybrid threats are one of the most complex and constantly evolving challenges facing the EU and its Member States. They may include, for example, the hindering of democratic decision-making processes by disinformation campaigns and the use of social media to control the political narrative. The EU has already put in place a wide range of measures - open a new tab. to counter hybrid threats, including the Hybrid Toolbox, which is now operational and has been activated to respond to the intensified hybrid campaign by Russia targeting the EU and its Member States. In October, the EU adopted - open a new tab. a new sanctions regime in response to Russia’s hybrid activities. The Member States finalised the establishment of Hybrid Rapid Response Teams - open a new tab., which will be one of the key tools to support Member States, partner countries and EU missions in countering such threats and campaigns.

Cyberspace, in particular, has become a field of strategic competition. The implementation of the EU Policy on Cyber Defence - open a new tab. progressed in 2024, with preparatory work beginning on the EU Cyber Defence Coordination Centre, which will enhance the situational awareness of the defence community. To keep track of the implementation of the policy, the first EU Cyber Census was published in October, with a second one under way.

In view of the unprecedented geopolitical transformation of the space domain and the EU’s key role in it, there has been increased focus on the overall security aspects of space and on implementing the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence - open a new tab.. Initiatives focused in particular on improving the common understanding of and response to space threats. In April, the Commission, together with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme - open a new tab., launched the EU Space Information Sharing Analysis Centre - open a new tab.. This collaborative initiative for EU space sector companies aims to encourage the exchange of good practices to strengthen the security of the EU’s space systems.

At sea, the EU has strengthened its role as a maritime security actor and its relations with external partners in this field. As a key achievement under the revised Maritime Security Strategy - open a new tab., the first maritime security exercise involving Member States, EU institutions and specialised agencies took place in May. The exercise focused on protecting critical undersea infrastructure and tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in EU waters. It included a successful test of a new information-sharing initiative - open a new tab. enabling secure, real-time information exchanges between EU maritime authorities, which became operational in July. The Commission signed - open a new tab. grant agreements worth €142 million for 21 projects aiming to upgrade or deploy new connectivity backbone cables, including submarine cables.

Fighting human trafficking

Every year, thousands of people become victims of human trafficking - open a new tab. in the EU – both citizens and people from outside the EU. The EU and its Member States are stepping up their efforts to combat this serious crime. Thanks to their action, more than 450 arrests were made and €4.1 million seized in 2023 alone. The revised EU Anti-trafficking Directive - open a new tab., which entered into force in July, introduces stronger rules to fight human trafficking. It provides reinforced tools to help public authorities investigate and prosecute trafficking offences, adds new forms of exploitation to those already covered by EU anti-trafficking laws and makes sexual exploitation committed online an aggravating circumstance. It also ensures better support for victims. Member States have up to two years to adapt their national legislation.

Stepping up the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime

Drug trafficking is one of the key threats to the internal security of the EU, with almost 40 % of criminal organisations based in the EU reported to be exclusively connected to the illegal drug trade. To help tackle evolving drug threats, the EU launched the European Union Drugs Agency - open a new tab. in July. The new agency, which builds on the achievements of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, has greater powers than its predecessor to address current and future challenges posed by drugs in the EU. Its work will enhance the early detection of dangerous substances. In addition, the agency will create a network of forensic labs, improving Europe’s response to new drug epidemics. It will also tackle the complex challenges of drug-related crime, health impacts and social costs highlighted in the European Drug Report 2024: Trends and developments - open a new tab..

The implementation of the EU Roadmap to Fight Drug Trafficking and Organised Crime led to several initiatives that are helping to disrupt criminal networks. For example, the European Ports Alliance Public Private Partnership - open a new tab. was launched in January to protect ports from drug trafficking and criminal infiltration by enhancing risk management, law enforcement, and collaboration between the public and private sectors. In addition, the European Judicial Organised Crime Network - open a new tab., supported by the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, was created to improve the exchange of information and good practices among prosecutors.

Asset-recovery measures enable law enforcement authorities to uncover and dismantle networks of criminal organisations in the EU and beyond. A new law - open a new tab. adopted in 2024 aims to ensure that criminals cannot keep illicit gains. The comprehensive set of rules addresses asset recovery from the beginning of the process to the end – from the tracing, identification, freezing and management of assets to their confiscation and final disposal. Meanwhile, new rules - open a new tab. that will provide law enforcement authorities with quicker access to financial information entered into force in July. They will help authorities to conduct financial investigations by enabling them to identify whether a suspect holds bank accounts in other Member States.

With an increase in cross-border crime, the EU is increasingly confronted with situations in which several Member States have the jurisdiction to prosecute the same case. To address the challenges of multiple prosecutions, as part of the EU strategy to fight organised crime, new rules - open a new tab. were adopted in 2024 setting out a legal framework for transferring criminal proceedings from one Member State to another.

Action to counter terrorism

Radicalisation leading to violent extremism and terrorism is a concern in the Member States and beyond. In June, the Commission launched the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation - open a new tab., a networking platform for cross-border collaboration, policy recommendations and prevention tools.

Preventing radicalisation - open a new tab. includes removing terrorist content online - open a new tab.. A report - open a new tab. on the implementation of the Terrorist Content Online Regulation shows - open a new tab. that it has been effective in removing extremist content. Since the entry into force of the regulation in June 2022, more than 1 200 removal orders have been issued. The regulation obliges service providers to remove terrorist content as soon as possible, and in any event within one hour of the receipt of a removal order from a competent national authority.

New rules - open a new tab. setting the minimum depth for markings on firearms were adopted in 2024. This will improve the traceability of firearms across the EU, aiding investigations and promoting safe trade. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union agreed - open a new tab. in March on new and stronger rules for the import, export and transit of civilian firearms. This initiative introduces harmonised procedures and digital licensing, improving traceability and hindering organised crime.

In May 2024, the EU formally adopted 10 pieces of legislation that together make up the Pact on Migration and Asylum - open a new tab.. This set of new rules builds on and amends previous reform proposals, offering a comprehensive approach that aims to strengthen and integrate key EU policies on migration, asylum, border management and integration.

For the first time, the EU will have in place a permanent mandatory solidarity mechanism, which means that no Member State facing sudden migratory pressure will be left to manage the situation alone. Migration is an integral part of the EU’s deepening relationships with partners worldwide, as it works with them to address the root causes of irregular migration, fight migrant smuggling and human trafficking and promote legal pathways to the EU.

Following the entry into force of the new rules in June, Member States have until mid 2026 to put the new framework in place. To support Member States with the implementation of the pact, the Commission presented a common implementation plan - open a new tab. mapping out milestones for EU and national measures to turn the pact into reality over the next two years. Based on this, the Member States prepared national implementation plans, which were due to be submitted by 12 December.

Nine Member States received tailor-made technical advice - open a new tab. to help with the development of their national implementation plans for the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Technical Support Instrument - open a new tab., which helps Member States to design and implement reforms, provided support and guidance in key areas relating to the new legislation, such as operational processes, policy options and the strategic use of EU funds. The flagship project will continue to support - open a new tab. Member States in 2025.

While the full set of migration and asylum reforms provides a sustainable long-term solution, concrete operational measures have also been deployed on the ground to tackle immediate and ongoing challenges. The EU has launched four action plans - open a new tab. focused on specific migratory routes, namely the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean and Atlantic, Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean routes, together with a 10-point plan for the Italian island of Lampedusa. These initiatives put in place concrete measures, including financial support for Member States and measures to strengthen border management.

Since 2022, the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism - open a new tab., which supports those Member States most affected by migratory pressure, has relocated over 5 000 asylum seekers - open a new tab. to other European countries. It was set up as a gradual step towards a permanent relocation mechanism among the Member States. From mid 2026, relocation will be one type of solidarity measure that contributing Member States can choose from under the new solidarity framework. They could also provide financial contributions or alternative solidarity measures (i.e. staff and in-kind support).

Tackling irregular migration

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation - open a new tab. estimates that more than 90 % of irregular migrants arrive in the EU with the assistance of smugglers. Smuggling networks are closely linked to other forms of serious and organised crime, including terrorism, human trafficking and money laundering, increasing the urgency for action and cooperation with international partners.

Negotiations are ongoing on a set of initiatives proposed in 2023 to update the EU’s 20-year-old legal framework - open a new tab. to counter migrant smuggling and strengthen rules on police cooperation - open a new tab. to harmonise penalties for smugglers, boost resources and improve data collection. In addition, the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling - open a new tab., launched in 2023, is strengthening cooperation with partner countries on prevention, response, protection and alternatives to irregular migration.

The EU has launched a number of initiatives to counter migrant smuggling, including common operational partnership projects - open a new tab., which bring together law enforcement and judicial authorities, raise awareness about the risks of irregular migration and offer information on legal migration alternatives. A pilot project in the central Mediterranean to improve awareness raising was launched by the European Contact Group on Search and Rescue in Italy.

The past several years have shown that significant challenges relating to irregular migration and security can derive from visa-free travel to the EU. Investor citizenship schemes, operated by visa-free countries outside the EU that aim to attract investment by granting investors citizenship of or residence rights in the country concerned, present one such challenge. In May, the Commission proposed - open a new tab. to permanently reintroduce the visa requirement for citizens of Vanuatu after assessing that the country’s investor citizenship schemes represented a risk to the security of the EU and its Member States.

Managing the return of irregular migrants

A functioning migration system needs to provide for the effective return of those who have no legal right to stay in the EU. With the Return Roadmap - open a new tab. and support from the Return Coordinator - open a new tab., action is under way to help Member States speed up this process and facilitate the reintegration of returnees. More frequent use of mutual recognition of return decisions will help to accelerate the process, along with increased support from the European Border and Coastguard Agency - open a new tab.. Funding worth €25 million was made available under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund - open a new tab. to help Member States with their voluntary return programmes.

Safe and legal pathways to Europe

The Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework Regulation, which entered into force in June as part of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, puts in place a permanent framework to enhance safe and legal pathways to the EU for those in need of international protection. This will provide a unified procedure for resettlement and humanitarian admission operations based on a two-year plan, which will set the number of refugees to be admitted to the EU. A newly formed High-Level Committee on Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission - open a new tab. will support the Commission in making the new system work.

Since 2015, EU-sponsored resettlement schemes, involving a significant number of Member States, have helped more than 128 000 of the most vulnerable people in need of international protection find shelter in the EU. For the 2024–2025 period, 14 Member States have pledged - PDF file, open a new tab. over 61 000 places for refugees under this scheme.

In addition to policies to help those in need of international protection, well-managed migration policies providing legal alternatives for people to come to the EU boost the economy and strengthen cooperation with international partners. Each year, between 3 million and 3.5 million non-EU nationals come to live in the EU legally, mainly for work. They help respond to needs in the EU labour market that are not fully met by EU workers. Non-EU nationals employed in the EU are increasingly filling important gaps in occupations persistently affected by a shortage of workers.

• More than 27 million people living in the EU are non-EU citizens – around 6 % of the total population.

The Commission’s Action Plan on Labour and Skills Shortages - open a new tab. (see Chapter 6) reaffirmed the importance of measures on talent attraction, setting out priorities in this area. As part of efforts to attract skills and talent, a revision of the Single Permit Directive - open a new tab. was adopted in April. The directive establishes a simplified application procedure and one single permit for the right of non-EU nationals to both work and stay in the EU. The new rules guarantee protection and fair and equal treatment to non-EU workers. The permit will not be linked to one employer alone. This means that non-EU workers will be able to switch jobs, giving them greater flexibility to work and live in the EU during the period of its validity.

The EU continued its work on operationalising the talent partnerships already launched with Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. Furthermore, the EU launched new programmes with Bangladesh - open a new tab. and Pakistan - open a new tab. as part of its broader engagement with these countries on migration management. The initiative strengthens legal pathways to the EU by supporting international labour mobility for skilled workers through better labour-market matching.

The Schengen area has evolved into the world’s largest free-travel area. With Bulgaria and Romania joining in 2024, it has grown to cover an area of 4.5 million square kilometres, with a population of 458 million people. Recognising the contribution of both these Member States to the functioning of the Schengen area, controls at air and sea borders were lifted on 31 March. In December, the Member States unanimously agreed - open a new tab. to lift controls at the internal land borders of the two countries from 1 January 2025, completing their full entry into the Schengen area.

The effective management of the EU’s external borders is a key element of a Schengen area without internal border checks. Bulgaria and Romania strengthened cooperation on border management - open a new tab. to support their accession to the Schengen area. These two Member States will contribute further to joint European efforts to address EU security at the external borders and migratory challenges through individual cooperation frameworks.

In 2024, the EU revised the Schengen Borders Code - open a new tab. to strengthen the governance of the Schengen area and better equip Member States to deal with challenges at the EU’s external borders and with cross-border health and security threats. The revised rules make internal border controls a last-resort measure, promote alternatives and introduce a transfer mechanism for irregular movements. They tackle the instrumentalisation of migrants at the EU’s external borders by offering Member States the possibility to limit the number of border-crossing points or to reduce their opening hours. The rules also allow for enhanced border surveillance measures. The Commission has also stepped up support - open a new tab. for Member States to counter hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration by Russia and Belarus and strengthen security at the EU’s external borders.

The latest State of Schengen Report - open a new tab. assessed developments over the preceding year and set out the key priorities for 2024 and 2025. The report revealed that over 10 million Schengen visas were issued in 2023 and that more than half a billion passengers visited the Schengen area, reaching 92 % of 2019 (pre-COVID-19) levels. This has contributed significantly to the EU economy, as tourism provides close to 10 % of the EU’s gross domestic product and provides jobs to around 22.6 million people.

New procedures for travel to Europe

The Entry/Exit System is an automated IT system that will register non-EU nationals who travel for a short stay each time they cross the external borders of any of the Member States or Schengen-associated countries. It will replace manual passport stamping with digital registration. It will help detect overstayers, ensure real-time information sharing and improve security by preventing identity fraud. It will also allow the automation of border controls, progressively accelerating checks at the external borders, facilitating travel and improving the travel experience. The system is a key step towards achieving digitalised European border control, further reinforcing the EU’s approach to integrated border management. In December, the Commission presented a proposal - open a new tab. to progressively start Entry/Exit System operations. Once this is approved and a start date has been set, Member States will have six months to deploy the system.

This new system will also pave the way for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System - open a new tab., which will soon simplify travel for millions of visitors from outside the EU. Once operational, travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries - open a new tab. will need to apply for a travel authorisation through this system. This authorisation is linked to a traveller’s passport, and will be valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever happens first.

A new initiative to digitalise passports and identity cards aims to make travelling across the EU faster and smoother for EU and non-EU citizens alike. In October, the Commission presented proposals - open a new tab. for a common framework for the use of digital travel credentials and a new EU Digital Travel app on which to store them.

The last five years have been marked by a series of unprecedented challenges that have had, and continue to have, profound impacts on the health of people in the EU and beyond. These events have shown that EU health policy can no longer be limited to its pre-pandemic boundaries and that joint action at the EU level is crucial to Europe’s societal well-being. Today, under a stronger European health union - open a new tab., all of the Member States are working together, where joint European action is necessary, to prepare for and respond to health crises. They also ensure that medical supplies are available and affordable and improve the prevention of, the treatment of and aftercare for diseases such as cancer.

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

Three years after its adoption, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan - open a new tab. is having a positive impact on many people’s lives by forging a path towards better prevention, early detection, treatment and care and by improving the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors.

One of the EU’s flagship cancer initiatives aims to address cancers that can be prevented by vaccination, namely those caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Specifically, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan calls for vaccinating at least 90 % of the EU’s target population of girls and for significantly increasing the vaccination rate among boys. In addition, measures should improve access to and increase uptake of the HBV vaccination to prevent liver cancer. However, coverage rates vary significantly across the EU. Currently, HPV vaccination coverage for girls is well below 50 % in many Member States, with limited data available for boys and young adults, and there is a significant lack of data for HBV vaccination rates.

It has been recommended - open a new tab. that Member States boost the uptake of these vaccinations, improve the monitoring of vaccination rates and combat misinformation and disinformation. Member States are also encouraged to ensure that vaccines are free of charge and easily accessible, and to strengthen efforts to achieve the WHO’s 2030 targets for Europe.

Tackling mental health

In a complex world full of change, people’s mental well-being is under significant pressure. The EU’s comprehensive approach to mental health, adopted in June 2023, set out 20 flagship initiatives and EU-level funding opportunities worth €1.23 billion to bring all partners together in the face of this growing challenge. Since the launch of the comprehensive approach there has been significant progress in joint action on mental health across the Member States to promote good mental health and support the most vulnerable.

Mental health among children and young people is a growing concern in Europe. The decline in children’s and adolescents’ well-being, attributed to various factors including school pressure and social media, underscores the urgent need for a whole-system, whole-school approach to mental health. A set of guidelines - open a new tab. has been produced for policymakers and educators, including 11 recommendations and examples of good practice. The initiative is part of efforts to promote a systemic change to address mental health and well-being in schools and build positive learning environments. A series of factsheets - open a new tab. with practical tips and links to resources complement the guidelines.

• 20 % of schoolchildren experience mental health problems during their school years.
• 1 in 5 children report growing up unhappy and anxious about the future due to bullying, challenges with schoolwork and loneliness.
• 24 % of teachers in Europe report that their job has had a negative impact on their mental health.
• The estimated annual cost of mental health disorders in young people (aged 0–19) in western Europe is €50 billion.

Source: European Commission, Wellbeing and Mental Health at School – Guidelines for education policymakers - open a new tab., 2024.

The Child & Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health First - open a new tab. project aims to improve the provision of mental health, well-being and psychosocial support for children and young people in Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Slovenia. The project will support the four Member States in undertaking reforms that improve access to mental healthcare and services for children and young people. Supported by the EU’s Technical Support Instrument, the project provides technical expertise to national authorities. The instrument also supported - open a new tab. 13 Member States with reforms targeting the mental health and well-being of young people, a priority identified during the European Year of Youth in 2022. This includes projects promoting well-being, especially in schools - open a new tab., and the prevention of addictions, including substance use and online gaming and gambling.

The €9 million European Programme for Mental Health Exchanges, Networking and Skills - open a new tab., launched in 2024, will offer multidisciplinary training on mental health for healthcare and other professionals, such as teachers, social workers and those working in prisons and juvenile detention centres. Around 120 professionals from 30 countries, including Ukraine, will be trained to support a comprehensive approach to mental health. The EU is also making a further €10 million available to support the mental health of vulnerable groups, such as children and refugees.

Towards a modern system for medicines

The reform of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislation - open a new tab., proposed in 2023 - open a new tab., aims to ensure equal access to medicines for all patients and a competitive and innovation-friendly pharmaceutical regulatory framework. In 2024, negotiations advanced on the key legislative proposals that will underpin the biggest overhaul of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislation in 20 years.

The Critical Medicines Alliance - open a new tab., launched in April 2024, brings together public and private stakeholders from the European health sector to propose recommendations to reinforce security of supply and strengthen global supply chains of critical medicines. The alliance will look at ways to mitigate structural risks and reinforce supply by encouraging diversification and by modernising and boosting manufacturing capacity at the EU level, where needed. Its work will also feed into a future legislative initiative for an EU Critical Medicines Act.

The proposed revision of the current rules setting out the procedures for changes to marketing authorisations for medicines aims to make the life-cycle management of medicines more efficient. The review will facilitate quicker processing of variations, benefiting both marketing authorisation holders and regulatory authorities.

New measures - open a new tab. to improve the availability of diagnostic medical devices – which range from pregnancy and COVID-19 tests to blood glucose tests for diabetics – were introduced in May. The measures grant more time for companies to transition to new rules - open a new tab. on diagnostic devices. Moreover, the new provisions also introduced an obligation on manufacturers of all medical devices to inform national authorities and the health sector in the case of disruptions in the supply of certain devices and to allow for the gradual roll-out of a European database on medical devices.

Preventing infections and diseases

Antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when bacteria and viruses become resistant to the medicines used to fight them, is responsible for more than 35 000 deaths every year in the EU, and costs EU health systems €11.7 billion. Antimicrobial resistance is also one of the biggest threats to global health facing the world today: a continued rise in resistance could result in an estimated 10 million deaths globally by 2050.

The EU is taking positive action to tackle this pressing challenge, working with local communities and global organisations across sectors and borders to ensure antibiotics are used responsibly in both humans and animals. The largest-ever EU-funded project on antimicrobial resistance was launched in February, bringing together 120 partners in 30 European countries to tackle this common challenge. The Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections - open a new tab., supported by €50 million under the EU4Health programme - open a new tab., will focus on areas such as infection prevention and control, surveillance and monitoring, prudent use of antimicrobials, awareness raising and innovation.

To raise awareness of the enormous public health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance, the Commission launched Beat the Bug - open a new tab., a free online game developed on the Fortnite platform, in which players take on the role of superheroes to save the world from superbugs. The game is part of a communication campaign for young people, parents and teachers - open a new tab. across the EU. Educational material - open a new tab. has also been developed to support parents and educators, with the aim of promoting preventative measures and responsible antibiotic use.

In December, the Commission and the European Investment Bank signed an agreement - open a new tab. worth €20 million with a Danish medical technology company to develop new, highly selective anti-bacterial medicines for infections that are difficult to treat due to antimicrobial resistance.

HERA Invest - open a new tab. is a €100 million top-up to the InvestEU programme - open a new tab.. It works to protect people in the EU against the top-three health threats that require the coordination of measures at the EU level: pathogens with pandemic or epidemic potential; antimicrobial resistance; and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. In October, the Commission and the European Investment Bank signed - open a new tab. the first agreement under HERA Invest, worth €20 million, with a French biopharmaceutical company. This will support the company’s development and deployment of broad-spectrum therapeutics to combat biological threats to public health.

Avian influenza is a viral disease that occurs primarily in birds. While the threat posed by avian flu to the general population remains low, those at higher risk include poultry and farm workers, along with veterinarians. In June, the Commission secured access - open a new tab. for Member States to purchase 665 000 doses of the adapted zoonotic influenza vaccine and to reserve an extra 40 million doses for the next four years.

Vaccines are crucial for controlling infectious disease outbreaks, and investment in research and development is vital for health security and pandemic preparedness, as demonstrated by the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines. The EU is investing over €100 million in the development of a European Vaccine Hub, which aims to ensure rapid access to pandemic vaccines through a consortium of leading European institutions.

A new initiative - open a new tab. to improve access to diagnosis, information and care for citizens suffering from rare diseases, which affect up to 36 million people in the EU, was launched in March. With a total of more than €18 million in funding, the Joint Action on Integration of European Reference Networks into National Healthcare Systems brings together all of the Member States, plus Norway and Ukraine, to help pave the way for more effective, efficient and sustainable cooperation in the future.

Global health

The World Health Assembly, comprising more than 190 countries, including all of the Member States, adopted an ambitious package of amendments to the International Health Regulations - open a new tab. in June, following two years of negotiations. The strengthened rules aim to improve the management of public health emergencies of international concern and provide better protection to citizens from serious cross-border health threats – a key priority of the EU’s Global Health Strategy - open a new tab.. An agreement was also reached to continue negotiations on a pandemic agreement - open a new tab., with the goal of reaching a consensus by the next meeting of the assembly in May 2025.

A new global consortium - open a new tab. was launched in March to promote wastewater and environmental surveillance within public health systems and create a global system for the early detection of epidemic outbreaks. The initiative involves more than 300 global collaborators, including the EU, the WHO, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response to the WHO’s declaration of the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern in August, the EU and its Member States (Team Europe) took immediate and comprehensive action to help partners control and respond to the disease. This included the donation of more than half a million vaccine doses, with the EU being the first to deliver them on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country most affected by the outbreak.