S&D MEP Sérgio Gonçalves has asked the European Commission to assess the implementation of health measures for the EU's outermost regions (ORs) and to clarify whether the forthcoming renewed strategy will include additional support for their healthcare systems. The question, tabled on 3 June 2026, targets the Commission's 2022 strategy for ORs, which acknowledged lower healthcare capacity, fewer professionals, lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and greater risks of tropical diseases and pollution-related illnesses in these regions.
Gonçalves' parliamentary question contains three concrete asks: an evaluation of the 2022 strategy's health-related measures, an assessment of current access to healthcare, medical capacity and medicine availability in ORs, and a commitment to include further healthcare support in the upcoming renewed strategy. The MEP specifically references the European Social Fund Plus and the European Regional Development Fund as tools to improve accessibility, quality and sustainability of OR healthcare systems, as well as the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority's work programmes addressing OR vulnerabilities.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal whether the executive plans to scale up or maintain its current level of support for the nine outermost regions – Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin, the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands – which face structural healthcare challenges compared to mainland EU territories. The question reflects ongoing concerns among OR representatives about persistent health disparities and the need for tailored EU funding and coordination.