In the fourth and last year of the multi-annual work programme under our FPA 2018-2021, the Smoke Free Partnership coalition work plan for 2021 will continue the work towards the achievement of the overarching goal of preventing cancer and chronic diseases through smoking prevention at EU and national level with a special focus on young people and health in all policies:
- The campaign for increasing minimum excise duties on tobacco products as part of the revision of the EU Tobacco Tax Directive.
- The campaign to promote tobacco control research.
- The campaign to recognise the role of tobacco control funding within international development assistance programmes at EU and member state level as part of chronic disease prevention and sustainable health systems.
- The campaign to reduce and eliminate the tobacco industry interference in the fight against the illicit trade of tobacco products at EU and global level.
- The campaign to strengthen tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) restrictions and enforcement at national and European level.
- The campaign to communicate the role, value and impact of FCTC implementation to policy makers in EU and national institutions, particularly in the context of the lessons drawn from the coronavirus crisis for European health systems.
- The ongoing activities to monitor, expose and rebut tobacco industry interference across all policy work.
- Co-ordinating European civil society advocacy ahead of, during, and after the 9th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the FCTC (COP9) and the 2nd Meeting of the Parties to the Illicit Trade Protocol (MOP2) .
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EPHA's 2021 SGA proposal includes the continuation of activities in eight thematic priorities, designed to conclude the multiannual 2018-2021 FPA and reach its objectives. This will provide ongoing support to all areas of the Third Health Programme despite its formal expiry at the end of 2020.

Crucially, EPHA proposes to broaden its activities in light of the new European Commission priorities announced in 2019, and the significant socio-economic challenges, policy and funding opportunities for public health resulting from the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, 2021 will be a year of transition for EPHA as a new Strategic Plan will be implemented that will contain flexible policy clusters. Therefore, the 2021 SGA proposal incorporates activities in relation to the pandemic recovery process, the EU Green Deal, increased digitalisation and other pressing issues.

A big focus will be placed on developing EPHA's "financing for health" thematic priority, which suffered from lower resources in previous years. Given the the unprecedented EU funding available to tackle health threats and ensure health systems strengthening, EPHA aims to play a key role in ensuring that available funding streams will be spent wisely, inter alia to boost prevention, avoid new health/social inequalities and avoid austerity policies in health.

EPHA’s annual work programme will provide added EU value by supporting policymakers and civil society through the development of policy recommendations, best practice exchanges and peer learning, linking up EU and national public health stakeholders and building capacity.

The work will be undertaken by EPHA’s Secretariat team, supported by interns, trainees and external consultants contributing to specific deliverables and milestones.

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