The European Parliament has approved the creation of a new committee that will focus exclusively on healthcare issues. Its activities will begin in 2025.
The new committee, named the Committee on Public Health (SANT), was approved on Wednesday at a session in Strasbourg. It is being separated from the previous subcommittee that dealt with health issues and will take over responsibilities that were previously under the Environment Committee.
SANT will consist of 43 members, which is more than the previous composition, which had 30 members. The first session of the committee is scheduled for January 20-23 in Strasbourg. The current chair of the subcommittee, Polish MEP Adam Jarubas (European People’s Party, EPP), will retain his position.
The new committee will address issues related to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health crisis preparedness, mental health, patient rights, and aspects of healthcare related to bioterrorism.
Additionally, SANT will collaborate with other health organizations, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
At the same time, issues related to food safety and animal welfare will remain under the jurisdiction of the Environment Committee, which will now be called the Committee on Environment, Climate, and Food Safety.
