Understanding EU Public Health Policy: Levers, Processes, and Influence

The European Commission is one of the world’s most influential policy-making institutions, with a central role in shaping public policy in the EU and beyond. In public health, the EU supports, coordinates, and complements the actions of member states, playing a vital role in addressing cross-border challenges.

EU public health policy helps countries pool resources and tackle shared issues such as antimicrobial resistance, preparedness for future health crises, innovation in the health sector, and health information manipulation. In some areas, the EU shares legislative competences with member states, including health data governance. Notably, the European Health Data Space Regulation entered into force in March 2025 and is now entering its implementation phase.

For researchers aiming to engage with policy, understanding how EU policy is shaped, and how to navigate its institutions and processes is essential. This masterclass offers an accessible, practice-oriented introduction to EU policy-making, with a focus on public health policy, especially misinformation and health data. While tailored to UCL researchers, it will be relevant to anyone interested in engaging with EU policy across a wide range of policy areas.

Objectives:

Through an expert-led session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the roles of key EU institutions, including the Commission, Parliament, Council, advisory bodies, and Member States.
• Recognise formal and informal levers of influence in EU policy-making, such as lobbying, advocacy networks, public consultations, and scientific advisory groups.
• Identify entry points for research and evidence in EU policy processes.
• Explore case studies of successful researcher engagement with EU policy.
• Develop strategies to align research agendas with EU priorities, policy cycles, and funding opportunities.

Panellists

• (Chair) Dr Claudia Sternberg, Head of Academic Programming | Principal Research Fellow at the UCL European Institute
• Stefan Schreck, Advisor for Stakeholder Relations in the Public Health Directorate, DG Santé
• Kadri Soova, Director of Mental Health Europe
• Rosa Castro, Public Affairs Director at EURORDIS, European Rare Diseases