Why does the EU now have two health Commissioners?

The new European Commission which takes effect from this Sunday will for the first time divide its core health duties between two commissioners, raising questions about how the responsibilities will be shared and potential challenges for collaboration.

This situation arose as a result of concerns raised during the confirmation hearing of the forthcoming health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi.

MEPs questioned his stance on women’s health and LGBTQI+ inclusivity, particularly after he argued that abortion is primarily a constitutional issue falling under national jurisdictions rather than a health issue for the EU.

These remarks alarmed MEPs, prompting them to advocate for some of his portfolio responsibilities to be reassigned.

Reproductive rights

In response, von der Leyen adjusted the portfolios following MEPs’ suggestions: Hadja Lahbib, Belgian Commissioner for preparedness and equality, will now oversee sexual and reproductive health

“Given Lahbib’s portfolio dubbed by some as a ‘second health Commissioner’, I’d hope to see her commit to closing the gender health gap globally, a foundational principle both for equality and better crisis preparedness,” said Ffion Storer Jones, senior officer on women’s health at German NGO DSW.

She wanted to see Lahbib advance sexual and reproductive health at the heart of an upcoming Women’s Rights Roadmap, and Gender Equality Strategy.

But that has not allayed concerns about the actual health Commissioner not being trusted by the Parliament on sexual rights.

“We hope to see close cooperation on the matter between the two Commissioners, who should operate under the principle of collegiality and collective responsibility for the Commission’s decisions,” said Storer.

Health preparedness

A Commission spokesperson confirmed that Lahbib will also oversee the Commission’s service on health emergency preparedness (DG HERA), another portfolio health switch sought by the Parliament.

This Commission department, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, is tasked with preparing for future health crises.

Her responsibilities include stockpiling medicines and coordinating joint procurement – all topics previously dealt with by Varhelyi’s predecessor, outgoing Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

“Commissioner Lahbib’s portfolio offers a crucial opportunity to address some of these challenges by building more resilient healthcare systems, enhancing the EU’s capacity to respond to health crises, and advancing disability rights,” said Raquel Castro, director of social policy at the rare diseases patient community Eurordis.

Tastiest piece of the cake

Despite losing these chunks from his portfolio, Várhelyi stays responsible for what is likely to be landmark legislation in the next mandate: the Critical Medicines Act – which he promised to present within the first 100 days of his mandate.  

“Olivér Várhelyi will lead our work on biotechnologies and his first priority will be the Critical Medicines Act,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week.  

The act will be designed to address severe shortages of medical devices and drugs within the EU, such as antibiotics, insulin, and painkillers.

It targets medical products that have become particularly difficult to obtain or are supplied by a limited number of manufacturers or countries. 

However, the overlapping nature of their portfolios could raise challenges. Lahbib’s DG HERA works closely with the Critical Medicines Alliance on crisis-related stockpiling, while DG SANTE, under Várhelyi, handles the issue of drug shortages more broadly.

Looking ahead

Effective cooperation between the two commissioners will therefore be critical to avoid duplication and ensure policy coherence.

Meanwhile, while Várhelyi is confirmed to represent the Commission at next week’s EU Council meeting on health, it remains unclear whether Lahbib will also participate.

A top senior diplomat told Euronews there’s no final confirmation that Lahbib will join the EU health ministers adding that Várhelyi could handle her points as well.

“It is usual practice that commissioners entrust their colleagues to represent them,” the diplomat said.