BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / RankWire.AI / – European health groups are pressing the European Union to adopt stronger and binding heat protection measures as extreme temperatures raise public health risks. The Health and Environment Alliance, or HEAL, wants EU-wide standards for national climate adaptation plans and mandatory heat goals for member states. The campaign also calls for more funding for health resilience. The proposals follow a June heatwave that pushed temperatures above 40 C in parts of Europe.
HEAL says national Heat Health Action Plans should contain ambitious, measurable targets for protecting people from climate risks, especially extreme heat. The group wants those plans to give priority to older people, children, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses. It also highlights people facing social and economic disadvantages. HEAL has urged the EU to dedicate funding to health and climate resilience under the bloc’s 2028 to 2034 long-term budget.
The Standing Committee of European Doctors, known as CPME, has also called for urgent action on heat-health planning across Europe. It wants authorities at EU, national and local levels to develop, implement and regularly update comprehensive plans. CPME says extreme heat can worsen cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and increase premature deaths, especially among vulnerable populations. The doctors’ group has separately urged EU-wide binding targets on climate resilience and health, including targets for national adaptation.
Heat-health plans focus on prevention and preparedness
WHO/Europe issued updated Heat-Health Action Plans guidance on June 11, 2026, describing extreme heat as an urgent public health threat. The framework covers eight areas, including governance, warning systems, vulnerable populations, communication, health-system resilience, exposure reduction, surveillance and evaluation. It gives national, regional and local authorities a structure for preparing before heat events and coordinating responses during them. WHO says effective plans can reduce avoidable illness and deaths while supporting health system resilience.
The European Environment Agency says 21 member countries have heat-health action plans, while four more public health institutes are developing them. Preparedness remains uneven across the region, with several central and eastern European countries lacking either plans or health surveillance systems. That gap has become a focus of calls for common EU standards and measurable national targets. Health groups also want plans to include clear responsibilities, early warnings and protection for people at higher risk.
Commission prepares 2026 climate resilience framework
The European Commission is preparing an integrated climate resilience and risk management framework for adoption in the second half of 2026. The Commission says the package will support member states as they prevent and prepare for the growing effects of climate change. Its stated goal is a more ambitious, comprehensive and coherent EU approach to climate resilience. HEAL has asked policymakers to include binding health targets and national heat plans within the wider framework.
The push follows mounting evidence of the health burden from extreme temperatures across Europe. HEAL cited research estimating more than 62,000 heat-related deaths across Europe in 2024. European doctors say heat can also strain hospitals and health workers as demand rises during severe hot periods. WHO guidance calls for heat warning systems, public communication, health surveillance and measures that reduce exposure, while health groups are seeking stronger and measurable protections across EU member states.