Inside EU Health: Animal testing; cross-border healthcare; German health reforms; health as a strategic asset
EU law promises cross-border care, but families still face a maze, says MEP Vlad Voiculescu; Germany sets out 66 possible reforms to cut health spending; WHO/Europe argues that health must be seen as a strategic asset
EMA pushes to cut animal use in medicines development
The European Medicines Agency has opened a public consultation on a New Approach Methodology (NAM) that could shift medicines development away from routine animal testing. At its core is the use of virtual control groups (VCGs), which replace live-animal controls with statistically constructed comparators drawn from existing data.
The draft opinion challenges long-standing regulatory habits. For decades, animal control groups have been treated as indispensable. Now, regulators are being asked to accept that better use of data, combined with robust statistical methods and expert judgement, can deliver equivalent scientific insight.
Progress on reducing animal use has often been slow, constrained by caution and tradition. Open until 12 May 2026, the process invites stakeholders to weigh in on the discussions.
Romanian MEP calls for EU “navigator” to fix cross-border healthcare gaps
Romanian MEP Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu has proposed an EU pilot scheme to help families navigate cross-border healthcare, arguing that current rules fail patients in practice.
“The proposal is for a pilot mechanism… [with] a dedicated person to guide that family through every step of the process,” he said at a high-level meeting on cross-border healthcare. He stressed the idea is simple: “Not a new bureaucracy, not a new legal regime - a navigator.”
Despite EU rights to seek treatment abroad, families often lack support. “No one tells them where to go… no one helps them apply for authorisation,” he said.
Delays and costs remain major barriers. “Months can mean the difference between a cure and the funeral,” he warned.
While EU networks enable expert consultation, access to treatment remains difficult.
Catherine Feore
Germany sets out 66 possible reforms to cut health spending
Germany is facing mounting pressure to reform its statutory health insurance system as costs rise faster than revenues, creating a projected funding gap exceeding €40 billion by 2030.
In response, the Health Finance Commission has proposed a broad set of 66 possible reforms aimed at stabilising contribution rates from 2027 while maintaining care quality. These include stricter use of evidence-based medicine, higher patient co-payments, increased health-related taxes, and greater federal funding for non-insurance services. Crucially, the total savings potential - over €60 billion by 2030 - goes well beyond what is needed to close the gap.
Policymakers have significant flexibility to choose how to balance spending cuts, higher contributions, and taxation. However, that flexibility also highlights the political challenge ahead, as each option carries trade-offs for patients, providers, and taxpayers, making the reform as much a political decision as an economic necessity.
Catherine Feore
WHO/Europe argues that health must be seen as a strategic asset
In an op-ed published in Nature, Director of WHO/Europe, Hans Kluge, argues that health is not a secondary concern but “the pre-condition that determines whether societies are safe, policies sustainable and economies productive.”
At a time when European governments are increasing defence spending and prioritizing economic resilience, Kluge warns that “none of these priorities can be addressed without a healthy population.” He stresses that fragile health systems can become “national security liabilities,” as seen during COVID-19.
This perspective is especially relevant as the EU recently cut €1 billion from the EU4Health budget to help finance support for Ukraine. WHO/Europe regions, most notably recent proposals in Germany, show how support for health policy is at risk when budgets are tight.
Kluge reframes health as a strategic investment, noting that “poor health is already one of the main constraints on productivity growth.” Ultimately, he concludes, “Europe’s greatest strategic asset… lies in the health of its people.”