Commission’s science advisors recommend ways of strengthening One Health governance in the EU

More support to research, innovation and education on One Health – the approach recognising that human, animal and environmental health are interconnected – as well as breaking down silos for better coherence of EU policies in this area. These are among the independent policy recommendations to shape One Health governance in the European Union, released today by the Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM).

Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food, said:

‘Today’s opinion confirms that the scientific case for One Health is beyond dispute. While the One Health approach is already being successfully applied in some EU policy areas, including in the area of health as part of a strong European Health Union, there is more that we can do. We can build on the many good practices already in place and solidify our One Health approach across policies, to more effectively address some of the most pressing issues that EU citizens face today.’

Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth said:

“In a world of constant new challenges and increasingly complex health issues, it is essential for the EU to ground its responses in robust scientific evidence. The report of our science advisors provides important input as we develop a comprehensive approach to human, animal and environmental health for the benefit of Europeans.”

Based on evidence, the recommendations of the Chief Scientific Advisors include:

• A harmonised definition of One Health to be adopted at EU level and used as a basis for all future actions in this area, positioning the EU as a leader in this field.
• Effective One Health governance to be developed by breaking down silos and fostering coordination at EU, national and local levels.
• Stronger overall coherence of EU policies related to One Health.
• Increased support for education, training and knowledge-sharing, resulting in wider understanding of the One Health message.
• Expanded support for research and innovation on One Health.
• Improved preventive actions, surveillance and risk assessments related to One Health threats.

The Commission tasked SAM with advising on optimal governance structures for promoting cross-sector collaboration within One Health, while avoiding unintended consequences from new approaches. The advice is non-binding but may feed into the overall Commission strategy for One Health in various fields from biodiversity and climate to infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance.

Background

One Health recognises that human health, animal health and the health of our environment are interconnected. They form a single system that must be treated as a whole. Unfortunately, policy areas such as agriculture, biodiversity and crisis management are often addressed in isolation rather than as elements of a single ecosystem.

The Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) provides independent scientific evidence and policy recommendations to EU institutions at the request of the College of Commissioners. The SAM comprises the Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) consortium, which gathers expertise from more than 100 institutions across Europe, and the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GSCA), offering independent guidance informed by the evidence.

These six headline recommendations represent highlights from the broader findings within the SAPEA Scientific Opinion and Evidence Review Report, which informs and underpins the SAM advice.

More information

Report: One Health governance in the EU, Scientific Opinion No. 16

One Health governance evidence review report

Press contact:

EC Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation