The policy of Belgium within the EU

Environment

Summary

Environmental problems, such as air pollution, do not stop at national borders. Partly driven by global developments, the EU has built up an impressive body of legislation, whereby the Member States are collectively seeking solutions for tackling cross-border environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution and loss of biodiversity. A classic example of this is the European Emissions Trading System. It is the world's largest carbon market, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, this kind of European approach ensures a level playing field between the Member States, which often apply different rules.

 
Objectives for Belgium

Belgium always endeavours to play a highly proactive and constructive role in the discussions around European environmental policy, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal. It aims to pursue the reconciliation of a high level of environmental protection with the principles of fair competition and the potential impact on the social fabric, in line with the three pillars of sustainable development. A high level of harmonisation and the systematic application of the community method are key factors in this context. Belgium also attaches great importance to the principle of the polluter paying.

Ambitious air quality targets bring many benefits in terms of improving public health. Nonetheless, our highly developed transport network and closely interwoven industrial fabric do not make it easy for a country like Belgium to meet the air quality targets set by the EU, which are often very ambitious.

Since the Belgian presidency in 2010, the prudent and efficient handling of natural resources and raw materials has been high on the European agenda. Concepts like sustainable management of materials, resource efficiency and the circular economy have since made inroads into the policies of Member States. Not only at a European level, but at a global level too, Belgium has been highlighting the need for more sustainable production and consumption patterns. Following the adoption of a broad European action plan on the circular economy in June 2016, which was a great success, the EU developed a new action plan in 2020. Belgium is satisfied to note that this plan has great consideration for the link between circular economy and climate, for a more coherent product policy with an enhanced role for the consumer, and finally for the need for a more preventative approach to waste policy.

The Environment Action Programmes constitute the current European policy framework regarding the environment and form the guiding principle for environmental policy in the EU. Through these programmes, the European Commission is endeavouring to achieve an efficient and sustainable economy, in which nature is protected and the health and well-being of citizens are guaranteed. In the wider context of the Green Deal, the 8th Environment Action Programme has been in full force since 2022, and Belgium welcomes this recent development. This programme is more focused, subscribing to the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. A mid-term review of the programme took place under the Belgian presidency in the first half of 2024, with the Council reconfirming the outlines and the various areas for action.

Finally, the greening of the European Semester's process is a cross-cutting issue to which Belgium has paid constant attention. In this respect, the European Semester should be a tool whereby synergies can be forged between the environment on the one hand, and policy areas such as industry, research and development and innovation on the other. In any event, the European Commission has taken an important step by forging such synergies, and integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into the European Semester.

Health

Summary

The EU Member States largely organise their own healthcare for their citizens. The EU supplements national policy by setting common objectives. For example, the EU provides help in tackling common challenges such as epidemics, chronic illnesses or an ageing population. A European approach also allows for economies of scale by pooling resources, as was the case with the joint purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

The EU health policy translates into a health strategy that includes a focus on prevention through the promotion of a healthier lifestyle, equal access to healthcare for everyone (regardless of income, gender, race, etc.) and tackling serious international threats to health. This is the context in which the EU implemented "Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan" in 2021.

In the spring of 2020, the European Union was hit very badly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the Union’s limited powers to formulate a response to this issue, the European institutions and agencies nevertheless managed to take co-ordinated measures in various areas in a short space of time: joint purchase of protective equipment and vaccines, establishment of guidelines for testing methods, travel recommendations and the development of the EU Digital COVID certificate, approval of flexible state support and economic measures to alleviate the social and economic consequences for the Member States. Nonetheless, there turned out to be some room for improvement too: work can be done to deepen this European Health Union enabling all EU countries to prepare for and respond to health crises collectively, and to work together to improve the prevention, treatment and monitoring of diseases, as well as making the EU more resilient against future cross-border health crises. For example, the European Commission adopted a new EU Global Health Strategy in November 2022.

In this context and drawing certain lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission is encouraging the creation of a genuine European Health Data Space, as well as the establishment of a mental health strategy. In the same vein, the European Commission proposed a reform of European pharmaceutical legislation in April 2023.

 
Objectives for Belgium

Belgium broadly supports the above points of attention in the European policy.

Although a large numbers of powers in the field of health have already been transferred to regions/communities since the various state reforms – including preventative healthcare and health education – the guiding lines in Belgian policy largely remain at the federal level. The same applies to co-ordination at the European level.

Belgium is committed at the European level to sustainable, accessible and high-quality healthcare. In this regard, Belgium is taking part in discussions around the adoption of technological tools and digital applications in the context of care, e.g. telemedicine and mobile health.

Other thematic priorities in Belgian policy relate to the consequences of an ageing population, issues around dementia and preventing the use of unhealthy substances, in particular alcohol and tobacco. Belgium also pays attention to issues around health inequality between and within the Member States.

Belgium also subscribes to the objectives of the EU Health Union legislative package. This will give the EU institutions and agencies a greater capacity for action, enabling them to respond more quickly and effectively to future health crises. It is important to make use of the momentum of the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance EU health policy and the relevant actors.

In May 2023, Belgium also proposed a non-paper in order to strengthen the EU's independence in medicine production and to avoid medicine shortages on EU territory. Following strong support for this Belgian initiative within the Council and the European Parliament, the European Commission has launched some actions, including drawing up the Union list of critical medicines and establishing the Critical Medicines Alliance. Belgium is highly committed to this alliance, constituting a European solidarity mechanism for medicines that is open on a voluntary basis.