Committees · Public Health

SANT

1 ESN seat

Public Health.

The Committee on Public Health is responsible for EU action in public health, where the Union mainly complements and coordinates the policies of the Member States.

ESN seats

Members total

Subcommittees

2024–29

10th term

Mandate & Tasks

What This Committee Handles.

Its work covers public-health emergencies, cross-border healthcare, medicines, medical devices, disease prevention, health programmes and scrutiny of bodies such as the European Medicines Agency. SANT became a full standing committee after being separated from ENVI and now handles an increasing number of legislative files.

Key facts · SANT

Full name

Committee on Public Health

Size

30 members

ESN seats

1 of 30

Subcommittees

Meeting cycle

Legal basis

Annex VI of the EP Rules of Procedure

ESN in SANT

Major legislative files will occupy SANT for the coming year

— ESN Committee Booklet · Committee on Public Health

Remit

Four Policy Areas of the Committee.

ESN Position

Our Line in the Committee.

The Group’s priorities in this committee, as set out in the ESN Committee Booklet.

National Competence in Health Policy

ESN supports national competence in health policy, patient safety, freedom of healthcare choice and transparent use of public funds.

Rigorous Scrutiny of Medicines and Devices

It calls for rigorous scrutiny of medicines, medical devices, procurement practices and the work of EU agencies.

Practical Health Cooperation

ESN supports practical cooperation on cancer, rare diseases, cardiovascular health and health emergencies, while opposing unnecessary expansion of EU competences, disproportionate spending and measures that weaken ethical or safety safeguards.

ESN Members in SANT

One Seat in This Committee.

The ESN seat in SANT is held by the Members listed below. The named assignment is updated at the start of each session period.

Full Member

Christine ANDERSON

Substitute Member

Ivan DAVID

As of 2026 · Full list with named assignments available on request from the secretariat

Track record

Key Achievements.

ESN has acted as a consistent opposition voice where the Commission has sought to expand EU health competences. It has voted against increases in healthcare spending that it considered insufficiently justified and has raised concerns about medicinal-product safety, procurement practices and freedom of healthcare choice. ESN also challenged the decision not to examine a petition from a clinical-trial participant whose reported injuries were not reflected in the data. In addition, it organised meetings on minerals in tap water, the ethics of organ procurement, excess-death statistics and the origins of the World Health Organization.

ESN in action

Opposed unnecessary expansion of EU health competences and expenditure.

Raised concerns about medicine safety, procurement and patient choice.

Brought clinical-trial injuries and medical ethics into committee scrutiny.

Outlook

Looking Ahead.

Major legislative files will occupy SANT for the coming year, including the Pharmaceutical Package, the Critical Medicines Act, revision of medical-device legislation and the Biotech Act. ESN will seek to maintain rigorous safety and ethical safeguards for medicines, devices, biotechnology and organ transplantation. It will also oppose hearings or exchanges of views that lack a clear purpose and create unnecessary costs for taxpayers.

Documents

From the Parliament.

Studies, briefings and meeting documents of this committee, published by the European Parliament.

Draft Report · 2026

Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down Union procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human use and establishing rules governing the European Medicines Agency, amending Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 and Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006

Draft Report · 2026

Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union code relating to medicinal products for human use, and repealing Directives 2001/83/EC and 2009/35/EC

Provisional Agreement · 2026

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union code relating to medicinal products for human use, and repealing Directive 2001/83/EC and Directive 2009/35/EC

Provisional Agreement · 2026

Proposal for a regulation of the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL laying down Union procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human use and establishing rules governing the European Medicines Agency, amending Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 536/2014 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 and Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006

Opinion · 2026

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2027 - all sections

Opinion · 2026

Psychosocial risks, stress and mental health at work

Draft Report · 2026

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and (EU) 2017/746 as regards simplifying and reducing the burden of the rules on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/123 as regards the support of the European Medicines Agency for the expert panels on medical devices and Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 as regards the list of Union harmonisation legislation referred to in its Annex I

Draft Opinion · 2026

?General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2027 - all sections”

Related committees

Also of Interest.

Three closely related committees in which the ESN Group is represented.

PECH

Fisheries

The Committee on Fisheries is responsible for EU fisheries policy, including the Common Fisheries Policy, conservation and management of marine biological resources, fisheries agreements, fleet measures, market rules, aquaculture, control and enforcement, and the socio-economic conditions of coastal communities.

ENVI

Environment, Climate and Food Safety

The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety deals with legislation on climate, the environment and food safety.

AGRI

Agriculture and Rural Development

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development plays a central role in shaping European agricultural policy.