In May and June 2025, the FH Europe Foundation, on behalf of the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH), hosted two editions of the same public advocacy webinar. The decision to run the session on separate dates was driven by a desire to ensure maximum accessibility for a wide range of stakeholders across Europe and beyond. Partners of EACH were invited to join as panellists.
The webinars aimed to raise awareness and support meaningful engagement with the EU Council Conclusions on Cardiovascular Health, formally adopted in December 2024. This historic document represents the first EU-level political commitment to cardiovascular health in over two decades. As such, it offers a vital opportunity for patients, civil society organisations, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to align on a shared agenda for prevention, equity, and long-term impact.
Each webinar brought together a distinguished panel of speakers, including:
Throughout the session, the panel examined the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which remains the leading cause of death in Europe, and explored the urgency of renewed political attention. The Council Conclusions were presented as a vital non-legislative yet politically significant agreement, unanimously adopted by EU Member States, that can serve as both a strategic reference and an advocacy tool.
The scope of the Conclusions was explained through a comprehensive life-course approach, focusing on health promotion, prevention, screening, treatment, rehabilitation, and innovation. Attention was also given to addressing persistent inequalities—whether between regions, genders, or socio-economic groups.
Kitti Almer, who chaired the drafting group, explained the document in a very simple and accessible fashion, condensing a complex document of 26 pages into a 10 min presentation. The Conclusions represent a comprehensive, life-course approach to improving cardiovascular health, structured around five pillars:
They also emphasise equity, addressing disparities across regions, genders, and socio-economic groups. The Conclusions formally recognize deep inequalities in care between and within countries, significant gender disparities, with women often underdiagnosed and undertreated, the economic burden of CVDs, costing the EU billions annually and persistent behavioural and environmental risk factors like smoking, diet, inactivity, and pollution.
The Conclusions include clear invitations to the European Commission and to EU Member States as follows:
To the European Commission:
To EU Member States:
But there is also a huge role for civil Societies like patient organisations to play. As Joanna Ten-Kate emphasised, civil society has a unique opportunity to turn these high-level policy agreements into action:
Speakers emphasised the importance of practical advocacy, offering guidance for how organisations and individuals can use the Conclusions to support national campaigns, seek funding, and influence policymaking. Concrete examples were shared, including patient-led outreach to national finance ministries, as presented by GHH and FHEF, to ensure dedicated EU funding for cardiovascular strategies is included in the upcoming budget cycle.
Across both sessions, the webinars welcomed 126 unique participants from 34 countries, with a total of 275 registrations. The audience comprised patient leaders, national advocates, health professionals, EU health policy observers, and nonprofit representatives. Many attendees were motivated by a desire to better understand the Council Conclusions, acquire practical tools for engagement, and join a coordinated effort for cardiovascular health equity across Europe.
During the concluding poll, 73% of respondents reported that the webinar had increased their understanding of the Council Conclusions and strengthened their confidence to take action. The remaining participants indicated that the follow-up actions were not applicable to their role or region—highlighting the diversity of the audience and the need for ongoing, localised support.
The EU Council Conclusions on Cardiovascular Health represent a rare alignment of political commitment, patient advocacy, and scientific consensus. But they are only the beginning. To ensure that this policy momentum translates into real outcomes, civil society must continue to push for national implementation, strategic investment, and cross-border collaboration.
Read some of the important resources shared during the webinar:
Watch the webinar recordings:
What is next?
The work on the European Union Cardiovascular Health Plan (EU CVH Plan) is advancing a lot faster than we could have expected. Therefore, we ask now for your immediate support and action at this critical phase.
Thanks to years of collective advocacy led by the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH), the EU has made a historic commitment to addressing cardiovascular diseases. The Council Conclusions adopted in December 2024 and the Commissioner’s announcement of a dedicated CVH Plan mark a major step forward.
The process is now underway, moving faster than expected. This is excellent news — but it also creates a narrow and urgent window to ensure that the plan is backed by the necessary EU funding.
Read the Briefing on the EU policy context here
Why Your Action Matters Now
The success of the CVH Plan depends on securing dedicated, multi-year EU funding, to be decided in the upcoming EU budget cycle. With the European Commission expected to release its initial proposal as early as July, action is needed in the coming weeks.
What You Can Do:
Need help adapting the letter or planning your outreach? We’re here to support you — contact us at info@fheurope.org.
The Patient Engagement Open Forum (PEOF) 2025, set to take place in Baveno, Italy, June 10-12, 2025, is more than another event on the healthcare calendar. It is a pivotal gathering where global champions of patient engagement come together to shape the future of inclusive, patient-centred healthcare systems. For the FH Europe Foundation Community, this event is not only relevant—it is essential.
A Platform for Co-Creation and Advocacy
PEOF 2025 is designed as a space for provocative co-creation, where patients, advocates, healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers collaborate to challenge the status quo and co-design solutions that reflect real-world needs. For a community like FH Europe Foundation —dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and other inherited lipid conditions—this is a golden opportunity to ensure that the voices of those living with rare and underdiagnosed conditions are heard and acted upon.
FH Europe Foundation Will Be There – In Person
We are proud to share that FH Europe will be attending PEOF 2025 in person. Our presence at this important event underscores our commitment to active participation in shaping the future of patient engagement. It’s a chance to represent our community, share our insights, and engage directly with global stakeholders.
Why It Matters for FH Europe
Join Online from Anywhere
You can still be part of the conversation. PEOF 2025 offers a series of virtual sessions to ensure global accessibility:
🔹 PEOF 2025 Online Events Overview
🔹 PEOF Initiative Page – Learn More About the Movement
Looking Ahead
Participation in PEOF 2025 is not just about being present—it’s about being proactive. It’s about ensuring that the unique challenges faced by those with FH and related conditions are recognised in broader conversations about patient engagement and healthcare transformation.
As we look to the future, events like PEOF 2025 remind us that true progress in healthcare begins with listening to and learning from patients. For the FH Europe Foundation Community, this is a call to action—to engage, to collaborate, and to lead.
FH Europe Foundation, on behalf of the European Cardiovascular Health Alliance (EACH), is proud to invite you to a two-part Public Advocacy Webinar Series dedicated to unlocking the potential of the EU Council Conclusions on Cardiovascular Health and exploring the upcoming European Cardiovascular Health Plan.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in Europe, responsible for nearly 4 million deaths annually. Recognising the urgency, the Council of the EU adopted landmark conclusions in December 2024, calling for coordinated prevention and care strategies. The next day, the EU Commissioner for Health announced its intention to develop a comprehensive Cardiovascular Health Plan.
These webinars aim to equip patients, advocates, professionals, and organisations with the tools and insights needed to take action at both EU and national levels.
You will learn:
Speakers:
Choose your session:
To accommodate different schedules and reach as many people as possible, we’re offering two webinar dates with identical content and different representatives from ESC.
⏰ Duration: 60 minutes (incl. Q&A)
🗣️ Language: English
🎟️ Open to the public – patients, advocates, professionals, policymakers
By attending, you’ll gain the knowledge and tools to become part of a broader European movement for cardiovascular health.
Together, let’s translate policy into progress.
Part of the Data Saves Lives Initiative
The European Patients’ Forum (EPF) has launched a new toolkit to help people understand the European Health Data Space (EHDS). This is part of the Data Saves Lives initiative.
What is the European Health Data Space (EHDS)?
The EHDS is a major EU Regulation that aims to give every EU citizen access to their health data – wherever they are in the EU, and to ensure that the data can move with them, no matter where in the EU they go.
A recent webinar hosted by EPF explained the EHDS journey. Our ambassadors took part in the training, and here are their key takeaways.
What Will Change?
Example: If you fall ill on holiday in Spain, a doctor there can access your records (with your permission) to give you safe and effective care.
Two Ways Your Data Can Be Used
Examples:
This data can be shared with other healthcare providers with your permission. You stay in control by:
Examples:
Your data is anonymised or pseudonymised (your name is removed). You can say no to this kind of use.
Note: In emergencies like pandemics, exceptions may apply.
Your Rights & Privacy
Who Oversees the EHDS?
Each EU country will have two main bodies:
What Can Patient Organisations Do?
Toolkit Suggestions:
Key Dates
| Year | What’s Happening |
| 2025 | EHDS becomes law |
| 2027 | Basic data (e.g. prescriptions) shared across EU |
| 2029 | Includes lab results, scans, discharge letters |
| 2031 | More data types added |
| 2033 | First EU Commission review |
| 2035 | Fully working system across the EU |
Why Is EHDS Important?
For Patients:
For Doctors:
For Researchers & Policymakers:
Final Thoughts
The EHDS is a big step forward, but there are challenges:
The toolkit encourages patient organisations to stay engaged and help build a system that is safe, fair, and easy to understand.
Why It Matters for the FH Europe Foundation Community
For the FH Europe Foundation Community – which includes people living with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and other inherited lipid conditions – the EHDS offers a vital opportunity. It can improve early diagnosis, enable better-coordinated care across borders, and support research into rare and underdiagnosed conditions. By contributing to and benefiting from high-quality, secure data sharing, the community can help shape a future where personalised, timely, and effective care is available to all, no matter where they live in the EU.
🔗 Want to learn more? Visit the Data Saves Lives website.
📺 Watch this clip – What is Data Saves Lives
Special thanks to our ambassador, Renate Kaal-Poppelars, for sharing her insights and contributing to this piece.