The European Commission's proposal for the next EU budget is delayed until June, but leaked drafts suggest merging health funding into a European Competitiveness Fund, raising concerns about prioritizing economic over health initiatives. Critics, including MEP Tilly Metz and former Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, fear this could undermine public health efforts and lead to resource shifts away from health. The EU4Health program, which has a budget of €5.3 billion, may face cuts, with calls for generating own resources for health funding.