Europe is facing mounting health challenges: an aging population, rising chronic diseases, and growing financial pressures on healthcare systems. In this context, our approach must shift from a reactive to a proactive model. Prevention is not a cost—it is a strategic investment in the future. At Aéma Groupe, a leading French mutualist group, we act daily to promote equitable access to health and long-term well-being. It is now time for the EU to fully embrace prevention as a central pillar of its policies across all sectors.
A Preventive Shift Still Too Cautious
Encouraging progress has been made at the EU level. Programs like EU4Health (2021–2027), the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan and the 2023 Mental Health Strategy recognize the importance of prevention and promote key actions.
However, these initiatives remain too fragmented. They lack structural coordination, long-term funding, and integration across other public policies. Some of the initiatives they proposed have been watered down and will never be implemented. In addition, most EU health spending is still focused on curative care. Prevention must move from the periphery to the centre of European health policy.
The Mutualist Model: A Trusted Partner in Prevention
Mutuals, such as those within Aéma Groupe (Aésio Mutuelle, Macif), have long acted as community-based health actors, rooted in local realities and social solidarity. Our commitment goes beyond healthcare financing—we engage in concrete preventive actions tailored to the needs of diverse populations, especially the most vulnerable. By promoting inclusive and accessible prevention, mutuals help reduce health inequalities and strengthen social cohesion.
Our ethical and long-term vision make mutualist organizations indispensable partners in building a sustainable health model in Europe. We are not driven by short-term profit, but by public interest and proximity. This vision is at the heart of our policy paper “For a Protective Europe”, which outlines concrete proposals for a Europe that safeguards both its people and its environment.
Toward a Stronger EU Framework for Prevention
Aéma Groupe calls on the European Commission and the Parliament to take further steps. For instance, we propose the launch of a European Action Plan on Environmental Health, on par with recent efforts in mental health, and urge the Commission to move forward with the reform of the REACH regulation. Protecting health starts with reducing exposure to environmental hazards.
More broadly, we advocate for:
- Mainstream prevention into all EU policies using a “Health in All Policies” approach, ensuring health is considered in every sector from transport to agriculture.
- Harness innovation to make prevention more effective and equitable: support AI for early screening, connected tools for monitoring health, and preventive telehealth. But innovation must also be social—new ways to engage with communities, foster public dialogue, and build trust.
- Establish a European framework for health promotion cooperation, bringing together mutuals, local authorities, NGOs, and researchers.
- Create a European preventive performance indicator to track and benchmark progress across Member States.
Prevention is a shared responsibility—and a major opportunity. If Europe wants to remain competitive in health, it must strengthen its ability to anticipate and act. By choosing to act now, Europe can build a resilient and equitable health future. Aéma Groupe stands ready to contribute.
Click here to read our manifesto – ‘For a protective Europe’
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