“Civil society and patient organisations signed agreements with the Commission in good faith, planned their activities accordingly, and have now been left without the operating support on which they rely,” the MEPs wrote.
Several health NGOs have already made staff redundant due to the lack of expected funds.
The Commission’s failure to agree on its 2026 work program and subsequent withholding of grants threatens Europe’s “democratic integrity,” the letter continued. “If these key stakeholders, the very voice of patients, citizens, and public health advocates, are weakened or silenced in Brussels, private commercial interests will fill the vacuum.”
POLITICO contacted the Commission for a response to the letter. A Commission spokesperson responded on July 17 that the final EU4Health work program is expected to be “adopted and published very soon.”
“The Commission values the contribution of civil society and many of the funded actions in the forthcoming work programme will involve NGOs’ participation, as well as certain actions which will be specifically directed to NGOs,” the spokesperson said.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to clarify when the letter was sent.