The EU’s Performance in the World Health Organization: Internal Cramps after the ‘Lisbon cure’

This paper analyses the performance of the European Union (EU) in the World Health Organization (WHO). It looks at two core elements of performance: effectiveness and relevance. It also briefly discusses the financial viability of WHO’s activities. The article discusses the increased Europeanisation and internationalisation of health issues.

These developments make it almost inevitable that the EU is becoming a more unified actor within WHO negotiations. At the same time, the EU’s performance is constrained by EU member states’ being cautious about ceding competences to the EU on health issues, having widely diverging preferences on issues such as reproductive rights, and not fully trusting the European Commission to take over external representation in WHO negotiations.