5 May 2026 , European Parliament (Brussels)
This week, GAMIAN-Europe joined Members of the European Parliament, EU institutions, and civil society organisations at the European Parliament Intergroup on Mental Health event “Stronger Together for Mental Health: The EU’s Next Steps”, held as part of the 7th edition of European Mental Health Week 2026.
The event brought together key voices to reflect on nearly three years of EU action since the publication of the EU Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health in 2023, and to look ahead to what must come next.
The 2023 Comprehensive Approach marked a decisive turning point. For the first time, mental health was placed at the heart of the European political debate, recognised as a shared responsibility across institutions and policy areas. One of its key achievements has been fostering the exchange of best practices across Member States, creating a platform for countries to learn from one another.
Yet the message from the event was clear: a comprehensive approach is not a strategy. Europe must now build on this foundation and turn political commitment into a long-term plan.
With mental health conditions costing European economies over 600€ billion per year, the cost of inaction is simply too high.
What comes after 2026?
The discussion highlighted critical gaps that remain unaddressed. Sarah Lagneaux from the Red Cross Belgium described the specific obstacles faced by migrants, including legal status, language, unstable housing and administrative complexity. Amana Ferro from the ERGO Network emphasised that for Roma communities, discrimination remains the primary barrier to accessing care.
These contributions made one thing clear: mental health cannot be separated from the wider conditions of people’s lives. A future EU mental health strategy must be cross-sectoral and rights-based, addressing housing, employment, discrimination and social inclusion. MEPs Maria Walsh, Nicolae Ștefănuță and Lukas Sieper were aligned on what the next steps must include: the meaningful involvement of lived experience in decision-making, binding protections against discrimination, greater investment in prevention, and continuity beyond short-term funding cycles.
Stefan Schreck,Stakeholder Adviser at DG SANTE, confirmed that the Comprehensive Approach will be followed up, and that demonstrating the impact of successful initiatives can encourage more Member States to adopt evidence-based practices.
Measuring progress: the REMESOS contribution
A noteworthy moment in the discussion came from Hannes Jarke (EuroHealthNet), who coordinates the REMESOS project, an initiative in which GAMIAN-Europe is also an active partner. Hannes highlighted a critical challenge: while data tells us about the prevalence of mental health conditions, it often fails to capture how people are actually getting better. REMESOS is working precisely on this, developing tools to track what countries have been doing to follow progress, how recovery-oriented care is being accessed, and whether EU commitments are translating into real change in people’s lives.
The path forward
Mental Health Europe has published a policy brief, “Stronger Together: A Path Towards a European Mental Health Strategy for All”, setting out the key priorities for the post-2026 agenda, covering prevention, social inclusion and access to community-based, recovery-oriented care.
The event closed with a clear call to action: Europe needs a long-term, rights-based and non-stigmatising European Mental Health Strategy that puts people at its centre. GAMIAN-Europe fully endorses this call, alongside Mental Health Europe and other partners.
As the slogan of this year’s European Mental Health Week reminds us: no Member State can face mental health alone. Stronger Together.