Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, in a written answer on 22 June 2026, assured that the European Commission will maintain political and policy continuity on mental health beyond the 2023 comprehensive approach's flagship actions ending in 2026, with a planned EU-wide inquiry on the impact of social media and screens on youth mental health. The answer, responding to a parliamentary question by MEPs Alex Agius Saliba (S&D), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Jana Toom (Renew), and Maria Walsh (PPE) submitted on 31 March 2026, aims to address concerns about the absence of a long-term EU mental health framework.
The Commission's 2023 Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health included 20 flagship initiatives and nearly EUR 1.3 billion in funding. Várhelyi noted that current implementation focuses on EU4Health joint actions MENTOR and PRISM, and a February 2026 action plan against cyberbullying. Looking ahead, the Commission will launch an EU-wide inquiry on youth mental health and screen use, as committed in President von der Leyen's Political Guidelines and following her State of the Union 2025 speech. The inquiry will build on a panel of experts on online safety for children, launched in March 2026.
On long-term strategy, Várhelyi did not commit to a dedicated European mental health strategy, instead pointing to funding opportunities in the proposed multiannual financial framework, including the European Competitiveness Fund, and the possibility for Member States to address mental health challenges through national and regional partnership plans within the European Semester. The answer signals a preference for integrating mental health into broader EU frameworks rather than creating a standalone post-2026 strategy, with concrete follow-up expected via the youth screen-use inquiry and future MFF negotiations.