Food safety, air quality, endocrine disruptors, GMOs, working conditions, the fight against epidemics, drug evaluation: there are many topics on which the EU tries to coordinate the policies of EU member states to protect European citizens' health. In an aging Europe where the burden of chronic diseases is rising, how to ensure good health for all, while encouraging economic progress?
Health
Facing new risks
New virus mutation raises vaccine questions
The British coronavirus variant has increased transmissibility, but other mutations are provoking concern among scientists who are scrambling to work out if they will still respond to vaccines.
Global death toll nears 2 million as WHO battles new virus strains
The worldwide death toll from coronavirus is approaching two million, with Europe topping 30 million infections and WHO experts working on advice to fight new, more contagious strains of the disease
High hopes but slow start: Europe’s Covid vaccine drive
Despite high hopes and ambitious goals, most vaccination campaigns in Europe are off to a slow start, hampered by limited stocks of doses and logistical constraints
Five hurdles in the global Covid-19 vaccine rollout
The unprecedented push to inoculate the world's population against Covid-19 has got off to a sluggish start. What has hampered the vaccine rollout and how can we overcome these obstacles?
Virus-hit Italy faces political crisis over EU recovery plan
Italy is facing a fresh political crisis after weeks of turmoil in the coalition government came to head in a row over how to spend billions of euros in EU coronavirus recovery funds
AstraZeneca, Oxford file for EU vaccine approval
AstraZeneca and Oxford University have applied for authorisation for their coronavirus vaccine in the EU with a decision possible by January 29, the European Medicines Agency says