Luxembourg Hosts EU Health Ministers to Discuss Youth Mental Health, Critical Medicines Act

On Friday 20 June 2025, Luxembourg hosted the EPSCO Council meeting in its health configuration.

The European Health Ministers, including Luxembourg's Minister of Health and Social Security, Martine Deprez, discussed several major public health priorities.

Among the key topics was the Critical Medicines Act, which aims to ensure greater availability of essential treatments in the European Union - such as antibiotics, insulin, and painkillers - and prevent shortages.

The ministers also adopted conclusions on the mental health of children and adolescents in the digital age, promoting the healthy and safe use of digital tools, as well as an online environment more suited to their age and well-being.

They also held an exchange of views on health prevention explored common strategies to reduce the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and related products, while encouraging healthy lifestyles, particularly through diet, physical activity and screening.

Minister Deprez held discussions with several European ministers, including: Nina Warken, German Minister of Health; Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Irish Minister of Health; Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Finnish Minister of Social Security; Korinna Schumann, Austrian Minister of Labour and Social Affairs; Jo Etienne Abela, Maltese Minister of Health and Active Ageing; and Marios Themistokleous, Greek Minister of Health.

On the sidelines of the EPSCO Council, Martine Deprez also held a bilateral meeting with Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.

This exchange provided an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, as well as the progress made by Luxembourg in this area, notably the expansion of the age groups targeted by organized screening programmes for breast and colorectal cancer. The discussion also focused on the European Commission's global strategy on mental health, an issue that has become central to public health policies across Europe.

The ministry noted that this session illustrates for Minister Deprez a shared desire to strengthen the resilience and efficiency of European health systems in the face of current and future challenges.