The European response to COVID-19 has revealed a tragic flaw: the limited and imperfect EU competences in public health. As such, it has already prompted political calls for the urgent creation of a European Health Union, which may even entail a Treaty change.

With the aim to offer a rigorous and timely blueprint to decision-makers and the public at large, the European Journal of Risk Regulation intends to publish a new special issue devoted to the European Health Union.

The format of the contributions sought is:

• opinion piece, backed by scientific literature;
• of a maximum length of 4000 words (incl. footnotes).

Interested contributors are invited to submit their short abstract (maximum 200 words) by 18 June by completing this form. Following a preselection, authors will be asked to submit their full manuscripts - according to the EJRR’s author instructions - by 20 July, which will be subject to a rapid yet thorough peer-review. Accepted manuscripts will be published online first, prior to the release of the entire special issue in September.

Possible topics to be addressed:

• Legal basis, design and overall structure of the European Health Union
• Stress-testing of EU healthcare systems
• A new Directive for Minimum Standards for Quality Healthcare
• A European Health Response Mechanism
• Strengthened Joint Procurement Mechanism under a regulation
• Revision of the Transparency Directive for pricing and reimbursement of medicines
• Full implementation of Cross Border Healthcare Directive and Clinical Trials Regulation
• Strengthened EU health agencies, interoperability with national level and strengthened civil protection capacities
• Legislative action on antimicrobial resistance and vaccination
• Robust Pharmaceutical Strategy and a European Resilience Strategy
• European Health Data Space
• A new approach to European health research
• New legislation on health and safety in the workplace