Cyprus’ Health Minister, Michalis Damianos, held contacts in Brussels on Tuesday in the context of the preparation for the assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union by the Republic of Cyprus.
According to a PIO statement, Damianos was in Brussels for contacts in the context of the preparation for the assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union by the Republic of Cyprus in the first half of 2026. He had on Tuesday a series of contacts with the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU and the Deputy Director-General of the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA).
Damianos first had a meeting with the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, “where the inherited agenda on the issues of Public Health, Medicines and Medical Devices, as well as Food, which are the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, was discussed”.
The Minister of Health was informed about the supporting role that the General Secretariat of the Council will play during the various conferences and meetings that will be held within the framework of the Cyprus Presidency, it is added.
The Health Minister then met with Laurent Muschel, Acting Director General of DG HERA, where an exchange of views took place regarding the future of DG HERA. In this context, it is added, Damianos reiterated that Cyprus supports HERA remaining “an independent and distinct structure” and not integrating into another Directorate-General, “in order to ensure its effectiveness, flexibility and targeted action”, the statement concludes.
Also read: Signed agreement for new pediatric oncology clinic in Nicosia
Source: CNA
