On 9 June, the European Commission published the 2015 work plan for the 3rd Health Programme. With a budget of € 449.4 million, the 3^rd EU Health Programme is the main European Commission instrument to implement the EU health strategy, The Programme is mainly implemented through the financing of three types of actions: projects, joint actions and operation grants.

Those actions should have a special European dimension, meaning that a minimum of various partners of different European Countries have to be involved in the project plan. The 3rd Health Programme has four overarching objectives:

– Promote health, prevent diseases and foster supportive environments for healthy lifestyles taking into account the ‘health in all policies’ principle;

– Protect Union citizens from serious cross-border health threats;

In this plan, there are two key actions which may be of interest to EKHA and its partners:

This initiative seeks to provide information on the set-up of organ donation and transplantation in the EU Member States and more specifically on the level of implementation (uptake and impact) of the 10 priority actions of the Action Plan (Communication of the Commission stating that a final evaluation should be carried out) and map results achieved, at Member States and European level. The study should build upon results of the mid-term review carried out in 2012-13 (ACTOR study, Commission Staff Working Document on the mid-term review of the Action Plan).

It should also take into account recent and ongoing developments in the field of transplantation and assess the need for a follow-up Action Plan at EU level. The survey should include EEA and candidate countries (already captured in the ACTOR study). The study should be articulated in two main sections: (i) state of play at Member States’ level, including a general description of the transplantation activities in each of the countries considered and a detailed assessment of activities implemented and results achieved regarding the 10 priority actions of the Action Plan; (ii) state of play at European level, mapping activities implemented and results achieved at EU level along the 10 priority actions of the Action Plan and in the transplantation field, including results from EU-funded projects. Type of contract: procurement.

The Commission intends to establish cooperative structures that support the development of an EU approach on chronic diseases. Thus, as follow-up to the ‘Reflection process’ and the ‘EU summit on chronic diseases’, the intention is to steer the response to chronic diseases at the EU level, actively react to the requests of Member States and stakeholders to step up work on chronic diseases and to underpin the Commission’s political determination at international level, building upon the UN political declaration on non-communicable diseases, the Council conclusions on chronic diseases and sustainable health systems, the Chronic diseases reflection process as well as at conclusions of the chronic disease summit.

Technical assistance: This action will deal in particular with the development of concept and background materials and the provision of reports and information and the organisation of meetings. Work under this action will: (i) support cooperative structures at EU level to implement pilot activities to highlight the potential of simple and cost-effective interventions to address selected major chronic diseases. Such activities shall be transferable and applicable in EU Member States and have the potential to reduce the burden of chronic diseases at sub- European levels; (ii) furthermore support the development of reports and background material. This action will build upon the results of the Joint Action on Chronic Diseases and Active and Healthy Ageing across the life cycle.