EU ministers vow to protect public health

Brussels, Feb 11 Health ministers of the European Union (EU) member states met in Grenoble, France, vowing to protect citizens by creating an "EU for Health" organisation, regrouping European hospitals and health data.

French Minister of Health Olivier Veran announced that the Ministers had agreed on a "European hospital label", in order to set common objectives for member states, reports Xinhua news agency.

Although European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, emphasized that "70 per cent of the European population is vaccinated and more than 45 percent have received the booster shot", she said the Covid-19 vaccination campaign must continue.

The EU must also be prepared for the next phase of the pandemic, with the possibility of new variants, she said.

At the meeting of ministers, discussions and agreements between EU member states during the pandemic were underlined, as well as the solidarity of the Union in terms of medications and disease control.

Veran and Kyriakides highlighted that the "Health Union" must not only protect the health of European citizens, but also EU economies and societies.

Further discussions will take place with a scientific council during France's six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.