The mission letter for Olivér Várhelyi, newly appointed Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, outlines several critical priorities. The letter emphasises the need to strengthen preventive health efforts, ensuring a comprehensive approach to health promotion and disease prevention across the life course. Investing in disease prevention measures is identified as a key strategy to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), alleviate pressure on healthcare systems, and support healthy longevity.

Furthermore, President von der Leyen’s letter underscores the importance of ensuring the implementation of the Beating Cancer Plan and leveraging this work to develop a unified approach to other critical areas, including mental health, cardiovascular diseases, degenerative illnesses, autism, and other NCDs. Addressing risk factors, especially tobacco use, is as well highlighted. This includes evaluating and revising tobacco legislation, with a focus on concerns about young people’s access to novel tobacco and nicotine products. Additionally, the letter mentions the need to enforce food safety standards.

At ECDA, we support these priorities and are dedicated to advocating for policies that promote NCD prevention and health promotion.