WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE

WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION

REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE

ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

Sixteenth meeting of the European Environment

and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau

EURO/EHTFB16

Virtual 30 June 2026

20 May 2026 Original: English

Draft meeting highlights

Background and introduction

The WHO European Centre for Environment, Climate Change and Health (WHO ECEH), acting in its

capacity as Secretariat of the European Environment and Health Process (EHP), supported the EHTF Chair

and co-Chair in the organization and conduct of the Bureau meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Prof. Raquel Duarte-Davidson. Ms Brigit Staatsen served as acting co-Chair, in

agreement with Ms Maia Javakhishvili, who followed the meeting online while on duty abroad.

Participants

The meeting was attended by representatives from 26 Member States of the WHO European Region and 5

stakeholders, including youth representatives.

Overall scope

The meeting focused on:

• Strengthening collaboration and joint planning of EHTF activities for 2026−2027 and beyond, in line

with the Programme of Work (PoW).

• Preparing for the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health, including discussions on potential

topics for second half of 2026 and 2027.

• Planning the next EHTF meeting, including its overall focus, possible session formats, potential

speakers.

Summary of main agreements

• Ireland announced that it will host the next EHTF meeting in Maynooth1 (easily accessible university

town located approximately 30 minutes by car and approximately one hour by public transport from

Dublin Airport) on 24–26 November 2026. A save-the-date communication will be shared with the

full EHTF following the Bureau meeting.

• The Bureau’s deliberations will guide the further finalisation of the PoW and inform the preparation

of a provisional agenda for the next EHTF meeting, to be submitted to the full EHTF for consultation.

• The guiding discussion questions raised during the sessions would remain open until the 6 July 2026:

▪ PoW of the EHTF;

▪ Preparations for the next EHTF meeting.

• EHTF members were encouraged to consult with national authorities regarding the possibility of

hosting or co-hosting future EHTF meetings. A call for expressions of interest to host the 2027 EHTF

meeting will be launched in summer 2026.

1 The meeting location has been updated to Maynooth following confirmation from the host after the meeting.

During the Bureau meeting discussion, the venue was referred to as “Dublin or a nearby city”.

page 2

2

The following sections provide a more detailed overview of the key discussions and decisions

summarized above and are organized according to the main topics of the meeting sessions (Annex 1).

1. Opening and adoption of the agenda and programme

1. Following the introduction of the scope and purpose of the meeting, participants adopted

the agenda as proposed.

2. A key highlight of the session was the announcement of the host country for the next EHTF

meeting:

“I hope that everyone will feel inspired to chat and exchange ideas when they are

here in Ireland.”

— Colin O'Hehir, Ireland

3. The meeting convened 37 participants from 26

countries, including EHTF Bureau members and

EHP focal points, alongside five stakeholder

representatives and the EHP Secretariat.

Ireland will host the 16th EHTF meeting: 24–26 November 2026, Ireland

On behalf of the Department of Health in Ireland, Colin O’Hehir, member of the EHTF Bureau, announced Ireland’s offer to host the next EHTF meeting in Maynooth, aligned with Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026.

page 3

3

2. EHTF Programme of Work for 2026‒2027

4. The proposed draft of the PoW, developed in close consultation with the Chair, co-Chair

and EHTF members, reflects the feedback received during the latest EHTF Bureau meeting

in December 2025 and during a subsequent consultation.

5. The PoW is designed to guide the work of the EHTF during 2026−2027. It focuses on

supporting the implementation of the Budapest Declaration by strengthening coordination,

partnership, effective use of existing implementation mechanisms, and enhancing

collaboration, while remaining realistic about current financial and human resource

constraints.

6. The PoW is structured around several core pillars, listed in the Table below.

Table 1. Strategic areas of work guiding implementation of the PoW

EHTF, its Bureau, Working

Group on HIC

Bonn Dialogues on

Environment and Health EHP Partnerships

Implementation through

knowledge and capacity Monitoring of implementation

Subregional initiatives and

National Policy Dialogues

Advocacy, information and

communication

Cooperation with Multilateral

Agreements, UN Emerging issues

7. A number of new topics were proposed for future Bonn Dialogues, including environment

and health within a One Health approach in the second half of 2026, as well as chemical

pollution and disease prevention, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and exposome science

and policy to better understand lifetime environmental exposures and inform preventive

action. The latter chemicals-related topic could be led by the Health and Environment

Alliance and UN Environment Programme. The Bonn Dialogue on environmental public

health surveillance, to be led by the UK Health Security Agency, was also welcomed.

8. Meeting participants were invited to submit written feedback on the draft PoW by 6 July

2026, either by responding to a set of guiding questions or by sending comments directly

to the Secretariat at [email protected]. The Secretariat will further refine the document and

share with the full EHTF ahead of its adoption at the 16th EHTF meeting.

page 4

4

9. Also, for the Bureau’s interest and awareness, EHP Partnership leads provided updates on

key achievements since the beginning of 2026. A brief recap is presented in the Table 2

below. The annual summary of the EHP Partnerships work will be prepared by the

Secretariat ahead of the next EHTF meeting.

Table 2. Snapshot of updates from EHP Partnerships

Health Sector Climate Action

(led by Ireland)

Human Biomonitoring

(led by Germany and Georgia)

• Belgium led a deep dive on

pharmaceutical sustainability, while

North Macedonia will lead a deep dive on

health and heat waves later in 2026. The

Partnership will have its meeting on

6−7 July 2026.

• Membership continues to expand, with

Slovenia joining the Partnership as its

12th member.

• Montenegro expressed interest in hosting

the 4th Annual Meeting, tentatively

scheduled for November 2026.

• Partnership expanded further, with

Slovenia joining as its 23rd member.

Poison Centres

(led by the UK and EAPCCT*)

Risk Reduction in School Environment

(led by Hungary)

• Partnership finalized its two-year work

programme and will hold the 7th Meeting

of the Partnership in Vilnius (hybrid) in

May 2026.

• A proposal was put forward for a Bonn

Dialogue on environmental public health

surveillance.

• Partnership will collaborate with youth to

raise awareness and promote action on

poisoning prevention.

• Serbia and Sweden are joining the

Partnership and Portugal expressed

interest.

• A hybrid event on risk reduction in

school environments will take place in

June 2026.

• Countries were invited to share national

experiences and good practices to inform

the Partnership’s work.

Youth

(led by Slovenia)

Healthy Active Mobility (led by Austria,

France and Netherlands (Kingdom of the))

• Partnership aims to expand its social

media presence.

• Online regional consultations on

planetary health are planned in

collaboration with the WHO Youth

Council.

• Implementation of the Pan-European

Master Plan for Cycling Promotion and

the Pan-European Master Plan for

Walking is advancing.

• Urban Mobility Days will take place in

Vilnius.

• Exploration is underway for an

International Day for Walking, proposed

for 27 April.

* The European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists

page 5

5

3. Preparations for the upcoming EHTF meeting

10. Meeting participants were invited to co-design format and engagement approaches for the

next EHTF in person meeting. A brief summary of ideas is summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Possible engagement formats and approached for the EHTF meeting in Ireland

• Key note speakers: Inspiring voices from within and beyond the environment and health field to

stimulate fresh thinking on emerging topics.

• EHP Partnerships’ spotlight: Dedicated sessions enabling deeper engagement with individual EHP

Partnerships, complemented by a joint plenary overview of progress and priorities.

• Dynamic session formats: Shorter presentations and interventions, combined with interactive

discussions and networking opportunities, to promote broader participation, active engagement and

peer exchange.

• Walking discussions: Small-group, informal discussions on current and emerging themes, creating

space for reflection and peer exchange, with optional audio capture of key insights.

• Youth-led engagement: Sessions building on collaboration with the EHP Partnership on Youth,

alongside Irish youth organisations and universities, to bring youth perspectives and lived experience

into discussions.

• Climate change and health: An exchange on COP31 outcomes and other recent developments,

including emerging policies, initiatives and technical guidance, and their relevance for the work of the

EHTF.

• Cross-event synergies: Leverage the EHTF meeting’s parallel timing with discussions on One Health

and youth mental health to draw on cross-cutting insights and adjacent conversations.

11. Bureau members stressed the importance of early agenda-setting for the next EHTF

meeting and noted that, if needed, a concept note outlining emerging priorities and topics

could help guide preparations and enable timely cross-sectoral engagement. To support

this process, for example, the online poll could be used to gather country perspectives on

emerging priorities ahead of the EHTF meeting, helping to inform the development of the

concept note.

12. At the same time, discussions on preparations for the next EHTF meeting highlighted

several emerging priorities that could be explored further, including the use of artificial

intelligence in environment and health, as well as improved approaches to data collection

and monitoring to better translate commitments into measurable impact.

13. In this context, the EHP Secretariat presented innovative, behavioural science-informed

approaches to gathering insights on the implementation of the Budapest commitments

while reducing reporting burden and capturing meaningful experiences. Meeting

participants expressed support for a blended approach, combining quick polls, visual

snapshots and voice recordings, to enrich data collection and encourage greater

engagement, with the Secretariat set to update the online poll accordingly based on EHTF

Bureau feedback.

14. The session also noted that the timing is appropriate to begin identifying a host for the

EHTF meeting in 2027, with a call for expressions of interest to be launched in summer

2026.

page 6

6

15. To support preparations for the upcoming EHTF meeting, participants were invited to

submit responses to guiding questions by 6 July 2026, including suggestions on

engagement approaches, emerging topics and speakers, data collection methods, and

proposals to help shape the direction towards the next Ministerial Conference.

Youth leadership transition in the EHTF Bureau

The European Environment and Health Youth Coalition representative, António

Marques Pinto, introduced Rebecca Forner (Regional Director for Europe,

International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA)) as the new

youth representative in the EHTF Bureau. Rebecca is a sixth-year Austrian medical

student with extensive advocacy experience in international cooperation. Passing

the baton to the IFMSA representative, António emphasized: “There is power in

involving youth organisations early in the process as it creates ownership, broader

participation, and helps identify new partnerships and resources”.

4. Any other business

16. The meeting participants received an update on the newly launched Call to Action of the

Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health, developed through a two-year

independent process and launched ahead of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in

May 2026. Framed around four domains (climate change, health systems, community-

based solutions, and economic, financial and regulatory systems (Figure 1)), the

recommendations were recognized as highly complementary to the Budapest commitments

and an opportunity to strengthen momentum for implementation.

Figure 1. Key thematic areas addressed by the recommendations

page 7

7

17. The EHP Secretariat also invited members to mark their calendars

for the launch of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Heat–

Health Action Plans Guidance, taking place in Berlin on 11 June

2026. Coordinated by the Bonn office, this second edition is

substantially expanded from the 2008 version and presents an

updated Heat–Health Action Plan framework across eight core

elements, highlighting key actions and decision points for planning,

coordination, implementation, and continuous improvement.

5. Summary of decisions and next steps

18. Following Ireland’s announcement to host the next EHTF meeting in Maynooth on 24–26

November 2026, the EHP Secretariat will circulate a save-the-date message to the full

EHTF.

19. Participants expressed agreement with the structure and content of the PoW of the EHTF.

Guiding questions to further improve the Programme will remain open for feedback until

6 July 2026.

20. Support was expressed for the proposed topics for future Bonn Dialogues, including One

Health, chemical pollution and disease prevention, endocrine-disrupting chemicals,

exposome science and policy, and environmental public health surveillance. EHTF

members were encouraged to engage with the Secretariat on future topics, leadership

opportunities, speakers and priorities.

21. Participants contributed ideas to shape the format and engagement approaches for the next

in-person EHTF meeting in Ireland, with emphasis on interactive exchanges and reflection

on emerging priorities. Participants emphasized the importance of early agenda-setting for

the next EHTF meeting and supported the use of an online poll to gather country

perspectives on emerging priorities, helping to inform a potential concept note and

facilitate timely cross-sectoral engagement.

22. Meeting participants were invited to further submit responses to guiding questions by

6 July 2026, including suggestions on engagement formats, speakers, emerging topics, and

innovative approaches to data collection to support implementation of the Budapest

commitments.

23. The six EHP Partnerships reported continued progress in their collaborative work,

including expanding membership, advancing thematic activities, and strengthening

engagement with countries and stakeholders, including youth.

24. EHTF members were encouraged to consult with national authorities regarding hosting or

co-hosting future EHTF meetings, with a call for expressions of interest for the 2027

meeting host to be launched in summer 2026.

page 8

8

Annex 1. Provisional agenda

10:00−10:15

Session 1 Opening and adoption of the agenda and programme

Participants will be welcomed by the Chair and the meeting organizers. During this session, the

location of the next EHTF meeting will be announced, and the Bureau will be invited to adopt the

agenda and programme of the meeting.

Relevant documents:

/1 Provisional list of documents

/2 Scope and purpose

/3 Provisional agenda

/4 Provisional programme

/11 EHP Newsletter, January–March 2026

/12 EHP Newsletter, October–December 2025

10:15−

Session 2 EHTF Programme of Work for 2026−2027

The session will open with a short presentation of the draft Programme of Work by the EHP

Secretariat, followed by discussion.

Relevant document:

/6 Draft EHTF Programme of Work for 2026-2027

/7 Second European Programme of Work 2026–2030

/8 Global Health Strategy for 2025–2028 - advancing equity and resilience in a turbulent world:

fourteenth General Programme of Work

/9 Summary report of the 15th EHTF Bureau meeting (virtual, 10 December 2025)

/10 Highlights of the 15th EHTF meeting (virtual, 17 June 2025)

11:00−11:05 Nature-inspired reset break

11:05−

Session 3 Preparations for the upcoming EHTF meeting

In this session, participants will discuss preferred formats and topics, potential speakers, and the

collection of practices and insights related to the implementation of the Budapest commitments.

11:45−12:00

Session 4 Any other business, summary of decisions and next steps

This session allows participants to raise any other business not covered in the formal agenda. The

Chair, together with the meeting organizers, will summarize key decisions, outline next steps, and

close the meeting.

page 9

9

Annex 2. Materials shared in the meeting chat

Shared by the Member State:

• 8th International Conference on Youth Mental Health

Shared by the EHP Secretariat:

• Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health: Call to Action

• Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health: Call to Action - Progress measures dashboard

• Bonn Dialogue: breaking the cycle – putting menstrual hygiene at the centre of environment and

health

• Online masterclass series on natural environments and health

Shared by the EHP stakeholder:

• Global Exposome Summit

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE

WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION

REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA

ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ

BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE

ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО

Sixteenth meeting of the European Environment

and Health Task Force (EHTF) Bureau

EURO/EHTFB16

Virtual 30 June 2026

20 May 2026 Original: English

Draft meeting highlights

Background and introduction

The WHO European Centre for Environment, Climate Change and Health (WHO ECEH), acting in its

capacity as Secretariat of the European Environment and Health Process (EHP), supported the EHTF Chair

and co-Chair in the organization and conduct of the Bureau meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Prof. Raquel Duarte-Davidson. Ms Brigit Staatsen served as acting co-Chair, in

agreement with Ms Maia Javakhishvili, who followed the meeting online while on duty abroad.

Participants

The meeting was attended by representatives from 26 Member States of the WHO European Region and 5

stakeholders, including youth representatives.

Overall scope

The meeting focused on:

• Strengthening collaboration and joint planning of EHTF activities for 2026−2027 and beyond, in line

with the Programme of Work (PoW).

• Preparing for the Bonn Dialogues on Environment and Health, including discussions on potential

topics for second half of 2026 and 2027.

• Planning the next EHTF meeting, including its overall focus, possible session formats, potential

speakers.

Summary of main agreements

• Ireland announced that it will host the next EHTF meeting in Maynooth1 (easily accessible university

town located approximately 30 minutes by car and approximately one hour by public transport from

Dublin Airport) on 24–26 November 2026. A save-the-date communication will be shared with the

full EHTF following the Bureau meeting.

• The Bureau’s deliberations will guide the further finalisation of the PoW and inform the preparation

of a provisional agenda for the next EHTF meeting, to be submitted to the full EHTF for consultation.

• The guiding discussion questions raised during the sessions would remain open until the 6 July 2026:

▪ PoW of the EHTF;

▪ Preparations for the next EHTF meeting.

• EHTF members were encouraged to consult with national authorities regarding the possibility of

hosting or co-hosting future EHTF meetings. A call for expressions of interest to host the 2027 EHTF

meeting will be launched in summer 2026.

1 The meeting location has been updated to Maynooth following confirmation from the host after the meeting.

During the Bureau meeting discussion, the venue was referred to as “Dublin or a nearby city”.

page 2

2

The following sections provide a more detailed overview of the key discussions and decisions

summarized above and are organized according to the main topics of the meeting sessions (Annex 1).

1. Opening and adoption of the agenda and programme

1. Following the introduction of the scope and purpose of the meeting, participants adopted

the agenda as proposed.

2. A key highlight of the session was the announcement of the host country for the next EHTF

meeting:

“I hope that everyone will feel inspired to chat and exchange ideas when they are

here in Ireland.”

— Colin O'Hehir, Ireland

3. The meeting convened 37 participants from 26

countries, including EHTF Bureau members and

EHP focal points, alongside five stakeholder

representatives and the EHP Secretariat.

Ireland will host the 16th EHTF meeting: 24–26 November 2026, Ireland

On behalf of the Department of Health in Ireland, Colin O’Hehir, member of the EHTF Bureau, announced Ireland’s offer to host the next EHTF meeting in Maynooth, aligned with Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026.

page 3

3

2. EHTF Programme of Work for 2026‒2027

4. The proposed draft of the PoW, developed in close consultation with the Chair, co-Chair

and EHTF members, reflects the feedback received during the latest EHTF Bureau meeting

in December 2025 and during a subsequent consultation.

5. The PoW is designed to guide the work of the EHTF during 2026−2027. It focuses on

supporting the implementation of the Budapest Declaration by strengthening coordination,

partnership, effective use of existing implementation mechanisms, and enhancing

collaboration, while remaining realistic about current financial and human resource

constraints.

6. The PoW is structured around several core pillars, listed in the Table below.

Table 1. Strategic areas of work guiding implementation of the PoW

EHTF, its Bureau, Working

Group on HIC

Bonn Dialogues on

Environment and Health EHP Partnerships

Implementation through

knowledge and capacity Monitoring of implementation

Subregional initiatives and

National Policy Dialogues

Advocacy, information and

communication

Cooperation with Multilateral

Agreements, UN Emerging issues

7. A number of new topics were proposed for future Bonn Dialogues, including environment

and health within a One Health approach in the second half of 2026, as well as chemical

pollution and disease prevention, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and exposome science

and policy to better understand lifetime environmental exposures and inform preventive

action. The latter chemicals-related topic could be led by the Health and Environment

Alliance and UN Environment Programme. The Bonn Dialogue on environmental public

health surveillance, to be led by the UK Health Security Agency, was also welcomed.

8. Meeting participants were invited to submit written feedback on the draft PoW by 6 July

2026, either by responding to a set of guiding questions or by sending comments directly

to the Secretariat at [email protected]. The Secretariat will further refine the document and

share with the full EHTF ahead of its adoption at the 16th EHTF meeting.

page 4

4

9. Also, for the Bureau’s interest and awareness, EHP Partnership leads provided updates on

key achievements since the beginning of 2026. A brief recap is presented in the Table 2

below. The annual summary of the EHP Partnerships work will be prepared by the

Secretariat ahead of the next EHTF meeting.

Table 2. Snapshot of updates from EHP Partnerships

Health Sector Climate Action

(led by Ireland)

Human Biomonitoring

(led by Germany and Georgia)

• Belgium led a deep dive on

pharmaceutical sustainability, while

North Macedonia will lead a deep dive on

health and heat waves later in 2026. The

Partnership will have its meeting on

6−7 July 2026.

• Membership continues to expand, with

Slovenia joining the Partnership as its

12th member.

• Montenegro expressed interest in hosting

the 4th Annual Meeting, tentatively

scheduled for November 2026.

• Partnership expanded further, with

Slovenia joining as its 23rd member.

Poison Centres

(led by the UK and EAPCCT*)

Risk Reduction in School Environment

(led by Hungary)

• Partnership finalized its two-year work

programme and will hold the 7th Meeting

of the Partnership in Vilnius (hybrid) in

May 2026.

• A proposal was put forward for a Bonn

Dialogue on environmental public health

surveillance.

• Partnership will collaborate with youth to

raise awareness and promote action on

poisoning prevention.

• Serbia and Sweden are joining the

Partnership and Portugal expressed

interest.

• A hybrid event on risk reduction in

school environments will take place in

June 2026.

• Countries were invited to share national

experiences and good practices to inform

the Partnership’s work.

Youth

(led by Slovenia)

Healthy Active Mobility (led by Austria,

France and Netherlands (Kingdom of the))

• Partnership aims to expand its social

media presence.

• Online regional consultations on

planetary health are planned in

collaboration with the WHO Youth

Council.

• Implementation of the Pan-European

Master Plan for Cycling Promotion and

the Pan-European Master Plan for

Walking is advancing.

• Urban Mobility Days will take place in

Vilnius.

• Exploration is underway for an

International Day for Walking, proposed

for 27 April.

* The European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists

page 5

5

3. Preparations for the upcoming EHTF meeting

10. Meeting participants were invited to co-design format and engagement approaches for the

next EHTF in person meeting. A brief summary of ideas is summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Possible engagement formats and approached for the EHTF meeting in Ireland

• Key note speakers: Inspiring voices from within and beyond the environment and health field to

stimulate fresh thinking on emerging topics.

• EHP Partnerships’ spotlight: Dedicated sessions enabling deeper engagement with individual EHP

Partnerships, complemented by a joint plenary overview of progress and priorities.

• Dynamic session formats: Shorter presentations and interventions, combined with interactive

discussions and networking opportunities, to promote broader participation, active engagement and

peer exchange.

• Walking discussions: Small-group, informal discussions on current and emerging themes, creating

space for reflection and peer exchange, with optional audio capture of key insights.

• Youth-led engagement: Sessions building on collaboration with the EHP Partnership on Youth,

alongside Irish youth organisations and universities, to bring youth perspectives and lived experience

into discussions.

• Climate change and health: An exchange on COP31 outcomes and other recent developments,

including emerging policies, initiatives and technical guidance, and their relevance for the work of the

EHTF.

• Cross-event synergies: Leverage the EHTF meeting’s parallel timing with discussions on One Health

and youth mental health to draw on cross-cutting insights and adjacent conversations.

11. Bureau members stressed the importance of early agenda-setting for the next EHTF

meeting and noted that, if needed, a concept note outlining emerging priorities and topics

could help guide preparations and enable timely cross-sectoral engagement. To support

this process, for example, the online poll could be used to gather country perspectives on

emerging priorities ahead of the EHTF meeting, helping to inform the development of the

concept note.

12. At the same time, discussions on preparations for the next EHTF meeting highlighted

several emerging priorities that could be explored further, including the use of artificial

intelligence in environment and health, as well as improved approaches to data collection

and monitoring to better translate commitments into measurable impact.

13. In this context, the EHP Secretariat presented innovative, behavioural science-informed

approaches to gathering insights on the implementation of the Budapest commitments

while reducing reporting burden and capturing meaningful experiences. Meeting

participants expressed support for a blended approach, combining quick polls, visual

snapshots and voice recordings, to enrich data collection and encourage greater

engagement, with the Secretariat set to update the online poll accordingly based on EHTF

Bureau feedback.

14. The session also noted that the timing is appropriate to begin identifying a host for the

EHTF meeting in 2027, with a call for expressions of interest to be launched in summer

2026.

page 6

6

15. To support preparations for the upcoming EHTF meeting, participants were invited to

submit responses to guiding questions by 6 July 2026, including suggestions on

engagement approaches, emerging topics and speakers, data collection methods, and

proposals to help shape the direction towards the next Ministerial Conference.

Youth leadership transition in the EHTF Bureau

The European Environment and Health Youth Coalition representative, António

Marques Pinto, introduced Rebecca Forner (Regional Director for Europe,

International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA)) as the new

youth representative in the EHTF Bureau. Rebecca is a sixth-year Austrian medical

student with extensive advocacy experience in international cooperation. Passing

the baton to the IFMSA representative, António emphasized: “There is power in

involving youth organisations early in the process as it creates ownership, broader

participation, and helps identify new partnerships and resources”.

4. Any other business

16. The meeting participants received an update on the newly launched Call to Action of the

Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health, developed through a two-year

independent process and launched ahead of the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in

May 2026. Framed around four domains (climate change, health systems, community-

based solutions, and economic, financial and regulatory systems (Figure 1)), the

recommendations were recognized as highly complementary to the Budapest commitments

and an opportunity to strengthen momentum for implementation.

Figure 1. Key thematic areas addressed by the recommendations

page 7

7

17. The EHP Secretariat also invited members to mark their calendars

for the launch of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Heat–

Health Action Plans Guidance, taking place in Berlin on 11 June

2026. Coordinated by the Bonn office, this second edition is

substantially expanded from the 2008 version and presents an

updated Heat–Health Action Plan framework across eight core

elements, highlighting key actions and decision points for planning,

coordination, implementation, and continuous improvement.

5. Summary of decisions and next steps

18. Following Ireland’s announcement to host the next EHTF meeting in Maynooth on 24–26

November 2026, the EHP Secretariat will circulate a save-the-date message to the full

EHTF.

19. Participants expressed agreement with the structure and content of the PoW of the EHTF.

Guiding questions to further improve the Programme will remain open for feedback until

6 July 2026.

20. Support was expressed for the proposed topics for future Bonn Dialogues, including One

Health, chemical pollution and disease prevention, endocrine-disrupting chemicals,

exposome science and policy, and environmental public health surveillance. EHTF

members were encouraged to engage with the Secretariat on future topics, leadership

opportunities, speakers and priorities.

21. Participants contributed ideas to shape the format and engagement approaches for the next

in-person EHTF meeting in Ireland, with emphasis on interactive exchanges and reflection

on emerging priorities. Participants emphasized the importance of early agenda-setting for

the next EHTF meeting and supported the use of an online poll to gather country

perspectives on emerging priorities, helping to inform a potential concept note and

facilitate timely cross-sectoral engagement.

22. Meeting participants were invited to further submit responses to guiding questions by

6 July 2026, including suggestions on engagement formats, speakers, emerging topics, and

innovative approaches to data collection to support implementation of the Budapest

commitments.

23. The six EHP Partnerships reported continued progress in their collaborative work,

including expanding membership, advancing thematic activities, and strengthening

engagement with countries and stakeholders, including youth.

24. EHTF members were encouraged to consult with national authorities regarding hosting or

co-hosting future EHTF meetings, with a call for expressions of interest for the 2027

meeting host to be launched in summer 2026.

page 8

8

Annex 1. Provisional agenda

10:00−10:15

Session 1 Opening and adoption of the agenda and programme

Participants will be welcomed by the Chair and the meeting organizers. During this session, the

location of the next EHTF meeting will be announced, and the Bureau will be invited to adopt the

agenda and programme of the meeting.

Relevant documents:

/1 Provisional list of documents

/2 Scope and purpose

/3 Provisional agenda

/4 Provisional programme

/11 EHP Newsletter, January–March 2026

/12 EHP Newsletter, October–December 2025

10:15−

Session 2 EHTF Programme of Work for 2026−2027

The session will open with a short presentation of the draft Programme of Work by the EHP

Secretariat, followed by discussion.

Relevant document:

/6 Draft EHTF Programme of Work for 2026-2027

/7 Second European Programme of Work 2026–2030

/8 Global Health Strategy for 2025–2028 - advancing equity and resilience in a turbulent world:

fourteenth General Programme of Work

/9 Summary report of the 15th EHTF Bureau meeting (virtual, 10 December 2025)

/10 Highlights of the 15th EHTF meeting (virtual, 17 June 2025)

11:00−11:05 Nature-inspired reset break

11:05−

Session 3 Preparations for the upcoming EHTF meeting

In this session, participants will discuss preferred formats and topics, potential speakers, and the

collection of practices and insights related to the implementation of the Budapest commitments.

11:45−12:00

Session 4 Any other business, summary of decisions and next steps

This session allows participants to raise any other business not covered in the formal agenda. The

Chair, together with the meeting organizers, will summarize key decisions, outline next steps, and

close the meeting.

page 9

9

Annex 2. Materials shared in the meeting chat

Shared by the Member State:

• 8th International Conference on Youth Mental Health

Shared by the EHP Secretariat:

• Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health: Call to Action

• Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health: Call to Action - Progress measures dashboard

• Bonn Dialogue: breaking the cycle – putting menstrual hygiene at the centre of environment and

health

• Online masterclass series on natural environments and health

Shared by the EHP stakeholder:

• Global Exposome Summit