We are pleased to share with you the latest updates in policy advocacy and opportunities for engagement across Europe.
European Parliament: First Steps Towards a Report on Healthcare Professionals
On 15 July 2025, the European Parliament held the first joint session of the Employment Committee and the Health Committee to prepare a report on the situation of healthcare professionals. The meeting began with an exchange of views with members of the European Commission.
Key points raised:
Recognition of Family Doctors: MEP Cifrová OstrihoΕová asked the Commission about the directive that does not recognize family doctors. No response was given on this crucial matter.
Working Conditions: MEP Metz stressed that healthcare professionals feel Member States are not doing enough to improve working conditions.
Rural Medicine: Several MEPs highlighted the challenges in rural areas, underlining the urgent need for measures to support both recruitment and retention.
Other MEPs contributing to the debate included MEP Kulja and MEP Negrescu, both of whom emphasized the importance of strengthening primary care across Europe.
Over the past months, the WONCA Europe Working Party on Policy Advocacy has been working intensively to achieve recognition of Family Medicine as a specialty at the EU level. A new meeting is scheduled for 9 September to prepare our arguments for DG EMPL, the body responsible for amending EU law on this matter.
We kindly ask you to complete the questionnaire for your country. Your input will be essential to strengthen our case and highlight inconsistencies in specialty recognition across Europe. The survey is brief and will take less than 10 minutes to complete.
π Thank you very much for your collaboration! Together, we can make our case stronger.
Get Involved:
π EU4HEALTH Survey
We also need volunteers to complete the EU4HEALTH survey, which is essential for strengthening our advocacy work. The survey closes on 30 September:
π EU4HEALTH Work Programme Consultation
Those who are able to help, please email our secretary so we can coordinate after the conference.
The European Commission has launched a call for applications for the selection of members of the Network for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. This is an important opportunity to contribute expertise and ensure the voice of family doctors is present in shaping prevention strategies at the European level. If you are interested, please email our secretary
