Commercial determinants of health

Background

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 90% of deaths and 85% of disabilities, with four major diseases—cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes—causing 70% of premature deaths. While personal choices play a role, growing evidence highlights the significant impact of industry practices on public health.

Commercial actors influence political and economic systems to serve their interests, often at the expense of public health. Their tactics—ranging from marketing and lobbying to financial and regulatory influence—shape societal norms and weaken health policies. Deregulation, privatization, and trade liberalization have further exacerbated NCD risks, fueling global epidemics.

The EESC opinion is examining these industry practices to identify barriers to effective public health policies and propose stronger measures to prevent and reduce NCDs.

Key points

The EESC:

• stresses the urgent need to take a comprehensive, preventive approach based on fundamental human rights to the commercial determinants of health, which are defined as strategies of private actors that negatively influence health and democratic checks and balances;
• calls on the EU and its Member States to adopt ambitious policies and strategic funding – including under the next Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034 – to make health a central pillar of European resilience, particularly with a view to prevention;
• encourages the establishment of a balanced regulatory framework that allows businesses to transition towards models that respect public health, by including the precautionary principle, transparency and due diligence clauses in public policies;
• supports the creation of a European Observatory on Commercial Determinants of Health under the aegis of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and of a European healthy business label based on rigorous criteria and inspired by the social and solidarity economy;
• calls for the active involvement of civil society and patient organisations at all stages of the development and evaluation of health policies, while ensuring transparency with regard to funding and independence from influential industries.

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat