Who were the biggest dunces? Final grades for von der Leyenโs first Commission
Whoโs at the top of the class and who flunked? Here are POLITICO’s grades for each 2019-2024 European commissioner.
Stella Kyriakides
EU urges member states to deliver emergency medical aid to Lebanon
“It is crucial that we act swiftly and in a coordinated manner,” said Commissioners Stella Kyriakides and Janez Lenarฤiฤ.
COVID-19 was paradigm shift for health policymaking – Commissioner
Thereโs no turning back from the approach to health policymaking developed by the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic โ and itโs the reason why it should remain high on the agenda, health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told Euronews in an interview for the…
Will the EU’s health union remain a priority? Interview with Commissioner Kyriakides | Radio Schuman
Stella Kyriakides has served as the EU’s Health Commissioner for the past five years, during which she confronted an unforeseen global pandemic that impacted the lives of millions across Europe.
World leaders tout AMR declaration, while NGOs sigh
SNEAK PEEK โ Leaders have agreed to a political declaration on antimicrobial resistance. NGOs are disappointed, but is it really so bad? โ The World Health Organization has allied with TikTok to curb the spread of health misinformation. โ What will it take to be prepared for the next pandemic? Itโs not looking good, Gastein [โฆ]
Commission gives green light to French disposable e-cigarettes ban
The European Commission approved a decision on Wednesday (25 September) by the French government to ban disposable e-cigarettes, marking a significant step in its efforts to reduce waste and curb youth smoking.ย
Building a future-proof regulatory system
Simpler, faster, better โ let’s not miss the opportunity to revamp the EU pharmaceutical regulatory framework to transform lives.
EU recommends outdoor ban on cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco
The European Commission wants Member states to ban cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated products tobacco from outdoor areas, according to new recommendations published on Tuesday (17 September).
Err โฆ him?! EUโs new animal welfare chief yet to win hearts and minds
Campaigners had hoped for someone with “some kind of experience” in animal welfare issues and “a heart for animals.”
The job no one wants: EU health commissioner
Health policy is looking like the poor cousin and is likely to be downgraded this mandate.
WHO calls for $135M to combat mpox outbreak
The World Health Organization has warned that more money will be needed in future.
EU offers to take the lead on the delivery of mpox vaccine donations
Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, has written to EU Health Ministers offering to coordinate the delivery of donations of mpox vaccines and therapeutics.
Commission asks EU countries to pledge mpox vaccines for Africa by end of August
The World Health Organization declared a new global health emergency on Aug. 14.
Cyprus nominates Costas Kadis as EU commissioner
Costas Kadis is an environmental science professor who has held ministerial portfolios.
Maltaโs Chris Fearne looks out of the running as EU commissioner after court decision
The court ruled there is enough evidence for all those accused in a hospital contract scandal to stand trial.
Von der Leyen is in! Let the fighting over the next European Commission begin.ย
EU leaders will fight back against โtoo powerfulโ von der Leyen as she assembles her team.
Commissioner Kyriakides rules out second EU term
The health commissioner will return to Cyprus at the end of her mandate.
Vandenbroucke is a top pick for EU health commissioner. But the chances are slim.
Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke has a great CV for the EU’s top health post. But will Belgium let him go?
Maltaโs ex-PM Joseph Muscat pleads not guilty in corruption case
Former prime minister was greeted by a cheering crowd as he entered court.
Commission boasts EUโs health achievements as more work beckons
โThe European Health Union: Acting together for peopleโs healthโ is how the Commission summed up its last five years of actions in health. The EU went “from firefighter to architect”, in the words of Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, but no…
The frontrunners for the next European Commission
Even before the European elections, maneuvering is under way for top jobs in Brussels.
European Health Union: โLโUnion fait la forceโ
The European Commission will present its update of the โEuropean Health Union: a Europe that prepares, prevents and protects’ on Wednesday (22 May). Like the Belgian motto, โLโUnion fait la forceโ [Unity makes strength], the Health Union’s aim is to cr…
Maltaโs Fearne resigns, ends Commission bid, protests innocence
The former candidate for Malta’s next European Commissioner resigned after it was revealed he will face criminal charges of fraud and misappropriation.
MEPs cast doubt on Maltaโs Commission nominee Fearne over criminal charges
“The European Parliament holds high standards when it comes to Commissioner-designatesโ approval,” said Cyrus Engerer, a Maltese MEP from Deputy PM Chris Fearneโs Labour Party.
Agri ministers call the Commission to speed up work on animal transport
European Union agriculture ministers backed on Tuesday (26 March) the European Commissionโs initiatives on animal welfare, calling for tougher standards on transport, labelling, and slaughter in the next political mandate.
Digital health data compromise hailed as โmost important health legislationโ in this mandate
EU institutions struck a deal on the European Health Data Space (EHDS) in the early hours of Friday (15 March), having finally landed an agreement on the thorny issue of opt-out for secondary use of health data.
โDifficult political decisionsโ about health priorities ahead, warns EU health commissioner
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides addressed for the first time the concerns among EU lawmakers and health stakeholders about a planned โฌ1 billion cut in the EU’s main funding programme for health, saying a comprehensive assessment was still need…
EU vows to help African ‘health sovereignty’ after Covid
The EU will step up its support of Africa’s healthcare and vaccine production to ensure that the continent can respond to future health emergencies, the bloc’s health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Monday.
Let us stop the next pandemic today
As the world is eager to move on from the COVID-pandemic, the threat of another pandemic, with devastating consequences for all of us, looms large, write Jutta Urpilainen, Stella Kyriakides, Frank Vandenbroucke and others.
Commission convinced on ability to stringently assess risks, safety of lab-grown meat
Responding to the concerns of a majority of member states on the potential impacts of the technology, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said that the EU is on โvery solid groundโ when it comes to risk assessment and labelling.
Commission launches alliance to address shortages of critical medicines
In another move to tackle medicines shortages faced across the EU, the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) launched a Critical Medicines Alliance, an advisory group, on Tuesday (16 January).
A new industrial deal to guarantee availability of critical medicines
Finding solutions to address shortages of critical medicines across the EU is a clear priority for the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council, write Stella Kyriakides and Frank Vandenbroucke.
Europeโs war against tobacco has a new target: Nicotine
As the market for nicotine pouches grows, Brussels is eyeing regulation.
[Interview] Kyriakides: Covid-19 helped ‘redefine EU health policy’
Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety on where we were and where we are going in terms of health policy and preparedness for the future.
Commission tables a fraction of promised animal welfare package
The European Commission has made proposals for stricter rules on animal transport and pets, but campaigners have lambasted a number of loopholes, while large parts of the originally envisaged animal welfare overhaul have been left to the next mandate.
EU health ministers seek coordinated approach to climate change health threats
The EU must take concrete actions to address the public health effects and health systems threats of the climate crisis, EU health ministers urged on Thursday (30 November).
Mental health needs be addressed beyond health policy, stakeholders say
EU lawmakers, stakeholders and patient representatives called for a cross-sectoral approach and specific funding when addressing mental health at the EU level, with the Parliament wanting specific benchmarks for following the process.ย
World Mental Health Day: A Health Union that puts mental wellbeing at the centre
Ahead of the Commission’s high-level event on mental health, set to mark World Mental Health Day, European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides lays out the Commission’s actions on mental health.
Glyphosate approval proposal will not be turned upside down, EU Commissioner says
Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides defended the key points of the EU executiveโs proposal to re-approve the contentious herbicide glyphosate, signalling that the expected tweaks to the text at this point are likely to be relatively minor.
What single market? Why Romanians get new medicines 2 years after Germans
Not all patients are equal when it comes to treatment with cutting-edge drugs.
Lawmakers reach speedy provisional deal on European Medicines Agency fees
The EU Council and the European Parliament struck an agreement on Monday evening (25 September) on the fee structure for the European Medicines Agency (EMA), just three weeks after the first round of inter-institutional negotiations.
Austria, Germany raise pharma revision at EU Competitivenessย Council
Following competitiveness concerns from industry over the EUโs pharmaceutical legislation, Austria and Germany added fuel to the fire by bringing the topic to EU ministers in the Competitiveness Council on Monday (25 September).