On 1 July 2026, Ireland kicked off the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Cyprus. Until December, the Irish Executive will lead negotiations with the Parliament and Commission and set the priorities of the 27 Member States, under the motto ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile - Strength with unity’. Ireland opens a new Presidency trio, which will be followed by Lithuania and Greece.
As a European leader in policies affecting health, Ireland has set out strong ambitions on this front. The Irish Executive argues health policy can no longer be analysed exclusively from the perspective of citizen well-being, rather public health needs which should be integrated into the core of the community's economic and security strategy. EFA celebrates this approach and considers this Presidency as an opportunity for allergy and airways diseases to be further recognised on the EU political agenda.
Ireland’s programme and health ambitions
Ireland’s Presidency programme is built around three main pillars: competitiveness, values and security. Health is strongly connected to all three.
The Presidency aims to build on developments in life sciences and digital health, while supporting strong, inclusive and resilient health systems across the Union. It also links health policy to innovation, preparedness and Europe’s capacity to respond to future challenges.
Key health agenda points include:
- Women’s health, promoting a gender-based approach on health that is particularly relevant to atopic diseases
- Negotiations on the EU Biotech Act I
- Practical application of the EU Pharmaceutical Package and the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation, while also looking at AI applied to healthcare
- Update of the regulatory framework applicable to human organs and tissues intended for transplants and medical treatments
- Simplification of the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR)
- Political boost of the Critical Medicines Act
- Acceleration of the legislative files on Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies and the European Civil Protection Mechanism
Tobacco policy will also be high on the EU agenda during this period. The reform of the Directive on Tobacco Taxation is a contentious issue which Ireland will try to drive forward. The European Commission is also expected to propose revisions to the Tobacco Products Directive and the Tobacco Advertising Directive during the Irish Presidency. However, negotiations on these files are likely to continue under the Lithuanian and Greek Presidencies.
EFA’s priorities for the Irish Presidency
For EFA, the Irish Presidency offers important openings to promote prevention, access to care and healthier living environments for people with allergy, asthma, COPD and atopic eczema. Our key priorities include:
Negotiations on the next EU budget (2027 – 2034) - the MFF is more than a financial plan: it will determine the level of EU investment in healthcare, disease prevention and health protection patients urgently need. EFA urges Ireland to put patients first in the negotiations.
Making healthy housing part of the EU housing agenda. Indoor air quality and healthy buildings need to be central to the EU housing plan
Revision of the Council Recommendations on immunisation under the EU Safe Hearts Plan where updates should include further infectious diseases including RSV, pneumococcal disease and COVID 19
Securing stronger EU action on non-communicable diseases. As the European Commission prepares its 2027 work programme, the Council should help keep non-communicable diseases high on the EU agenda. This includes renewing EU action on NCDs and ensuring that respiratory diseases receive the political attention they urgently need.
EFA looks forward to the progress Ireland will make on the above policies. We are engaged with the Council’s work to further promote the priorities of the EFA patient community, including a future European Lung Health Plan and EU-targeted action on atopic eczema, within the EU’s agenda.