Brussels, Belgium – July 2, 2026 – In a significant diplomatic push for public health reform, a high-level delegation from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) convened this week with Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. The meeting, held at the heart of the European Union’s executive branch in Brussels, served as a strategic platform for the ERS to demand that respiratory health be moved from the periphery to the center of the European legislative agenda.
As Europe grapples with an aging population, the long-term sequelae of post-pandemic health challenges, and the escalating environmental crisis, the ERS delegation—comprised of Secretary General Prof. Ildikó Horváth, President-Elect Dr. Marc Miravitlles, and Director of Advocacy and European Affairs Brian Ward—presented a unified front. Their mission was clear: to ensure that the health of European citizens’ lungs is no longer treated as a secondary concern but as a primary pillar of economic and social sustainability.
The Core Mandate: Main Facts of the Engagement
The engagement between the ERS and Commissioner Várhelyi represents a pivotal moment in the society’s ongoing advocacy cycle. The primary objective was to align medical expertise with political execution. The ERS delegation emphasized that respiratory diseases remain one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality across the continent, placing an unsustainable burden on healthcare systems that are already straining under the weight of chronic disease management.
Key focus areas addressed during the meeting included:
- Environmental Policy Alignment: Linking the European Green Deal’s air quality standards directly to clinical outcomes in respiratory patients.
- Preventative Healthcare Strategies: Shifting the focus from reactive treatment to proactive early diagnosis and primary prevention.
- Research Funding: Ensuring that respiratory health receives a proportionate share of the Horizon Europe budget to foster innovation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma treatments.
- Workforce Capacity: Addressing the shortage of specialized respiratory healthcare professionals in underserved European regions.
The ERS maintains that respiratory health is not merely a clinical issue; it is a fundamental human right that dictates productivity, quality of life, and the longevity of the European workforce. By securing the Commissioner’s ear, the ERS aims to integrate respiratory indicators into the EU’s biennial State of Health reports.
Chronology of the Advocacy Push
The road to this week’s meeting was not an overnight development but the result of a multi-year, multi-stakeholder advocacy strategy.
Late 2024: The ERS Advocacy Committee released a "State of Respiratory Health in Europe" white paper, which identified significant gaps in diagnostic access across Eastern and Southern Europe. This document served as the baseline for the subsequent legislative lobbying.
Q1 2025: Throughout the first quarter of last year, the ERS held a series of "Roundtable Dialogues" with members of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). These meetings focused on building a coalition of health-conscious MEPs.
Late 2025: The ERS participated in the EU Health Summit, where they signaled that the current European health budget was insufficient to tackle the rising tide of air-pollution-related lung conditions.
July 2026: The formal summit with Commissioner Várhelyi marks the culmination of these efforts, positioning the society as a primary consultant for the Commission’s upcoming health policy white papers.
Supporting Data: The Case for Urgent Intervention
To persuade the Commissioner, the ERS delegation relied on an exhaustive repository of data highlighting the current crisis in respiratory care.
The Economic Toll
Respiratory diseases account for a staggering percentage of the European economic burden. According to ERS-compiled data, lost productivity due to chronic respiratory illness—including absenteeism and early retirement—costs the European economy upwards of €200 billion annually. When factoring in direct healthcare costs, such as hospital admissions and long-term medication, the figure is even higher.
The Environmental Link
Data presented during the meeting underscored the causal link between poor air quality and the rising incidence of asthma and COPD in urban centers. "Air quality is the single most important environmental determinant of respiratory health," stated Prof. Horváth. The ERS provided evidence showing that in cities where air quality standards were tightened in accordance with WHO guidelines, emergency room admissions for respiratory distress fell by 12% within a three-year window.
The Diagnostic Gap
Despite advancements in medical technology, the ERS highlighted a persistent disparity in the "time-to-diagnosis" for patients with rare lung diseases. In some EU member states, patients wait upwards of 24 months for a definitive diagnosis, leading to irreversible lung damage. The ERS is pushing for a mandatory, EU-wide screening protocol for high-risk populations.
Official Responses and Political Implications
The meeting with Commissioner Várhelyi was characterized by a constructive, albeit demanding, dialogue.
Commissioner Várhelyi’s Stance
While the Commissioner acknowledged the gravity of the data presented, he emphasized the complexity of navigating health policy within the EU’s legal framework, where individual member states retain significant autonomy over their domestic health systems. However, he expressed a willingness to support the creation of a "European Respiratory Health Action Plan," which could serve as a voluntary roadmap for member states to harmonize their standards of care.
The ERS Perspective
Following the meeting, Dr. Marc Miravitlles noted that while the reception was positive, the real work begins now. "We have provided the Commissioner with the scientific foundation for change. Now, we must ensure that this scientific mandate is translated into binding legislative targets. We cannot afford to wait another decade to prioritize the lungs of our citizens."
Implications for the Future
The implications of this meeting are far-reaching. If the Commission moves forward with the proposals suggested by the ERS, the following shifts could occur:
- Standardized Clinical Pathways: Member states may soon be required to implement uniform clinical guidelines for the management of asthma and COPD, reducing the "postcode lottery" of care.
- Increased Investment in Innovation: A targeted push for respiratory research could lead to new funding streams for personalized medicine and gene therapies, placing Europe at the forefront of global pulmonary research.
- Tighter Environmental Regulations: By framing air quality as a health necessity, the ERS has provided the Commission with additional political cover to push for stricter emission limits, even in the face of industrial lobbying.
The Path Ahead: Sustained Advocacy
The ERS is not stopping at this meeting. As part of its broader advocacy strategy, the society is launching an "Ambassador for Lungs" program, which will see clinical experts from every EU member state meeting with their respective national health ministers to echo the demands made in Brussels.
"The health of the respiratory system is the barometer of a society’s overall well-being," concluded Brian Ward. "If we cannot breathe clean air, and if we cannot access timely care for lung conditions, then all other economic and social policies are built on a fragile foundation."
The ERS remains committed to its long-term vision: a Europe where respiratory disease is effectively prevented, managed, and eventually, cured. Through this high-level engagement with the European Commission, the society has successfully signaled that the time for incremental change has passed. The era of robust, politically prioritized respiratory health must begin now.
About the European Respiratory Society (ERS)
The European Respiratory Society is an international organization that brings together physicians, healthcare professionals, scientists, and other experts working in respiratory medicine. It is one of the leading medical organizations in the field of respiratory medicine, with a growing membership representing over 160 countries. The ERS is dedicated to promoting lung health and alleviating suffering from respiratory disease through research, education, and advocacy.
For further information on the ERS’s ongoing advocacy initiatives and to view the detailed policy briefs presented to the European Commission, visit the official ERS Advocacy Portal.
