Third programme for the Union's action in the field of health (2014-2020)

This Commission staff working document accompanies the report on the implementation of the third health programme in 2016.

The report provides a detailed overview of all the actions funded under the annual work programme for 2016 (AWP 2016) and highlights some of the key co-funded initiatives that aim to implement EU health policy and legislation, which ended in late 2015 and in 2016, and which were in some cases followed up by actions even larger in scope and ambition.

Key actions co-funded under the second and third health programmes for which final results became available in 2016

These include, inter alia:

- joint action on rare diseases;

- joint action on a cross-border patient registries initiative;

- joint action on quality assurance exercises and networking on the detection of highly infectious pathogens;

- joint action on efficient response to highly dangerous and emerging pathogens at EU level;

- joint action on improving quality in HIV prevention.

The document also includes actions on the main themes (such as rare diseases and European Reference Networks, care coordination, registries, health security — especially in light of the Ebola epidemic and tobacco) which have been included in successive financing decisions.

Lastly, it provides useful figures and statistics and the full list of co-funded initiatives and contracts financed under the third health programme's operating budget in 2016.