The EFN Members met in Dublin (Ireland) for the 121st EFN General Assembly, where key EU policy topics, having a huge impact on nurses and the nursing profession were discussed, as: the EMPL-SANT Joint INI Report on the Health Workforce; the European Semester 2025; the 2025 Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the upcoming Cypriot Presidency; EFN Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) developments; and the European Commission priorities impacting on the nursing workforce.
The EFN members discussed and approved EFN Policy Statements on ‘the Union of Skills’, ‘Nurse Educators’, ‘Key Role of Nurses for Preparedness’, ‘Long-Term Care Workforce Challenges’, ‘The next EU Multiannual Financial Framework’, ‘The Data Union Strategy’. The discussions and Policy Statements endorsed by the EFN Members in the 3 EFN Committees (Professional, Workforce, Public Policy) are key to achieve the EFN policy objectives and developments, as outlined in the EFN SOLP 2021-2027, to impact the EU policy process.
Furthermore, the EFN Members were briefed on the EFN’s ongoing work within the EU-funded projects, including BeWell, ending in 2026, focusing on the upskilling and reskilling of the healthcare workforce in the digital and green skills; the Nursing Action, led by WHO Europe, which is focusing on recruitment and retention of nurses; the KEEPCARING Project, aiming at (re-) building wellbeing and resilience of healthcare workforce in EU hospitals by co-creating a multi-faceted non-digital, digital and AI-supported solution package to prevent burnout among healthcare professionals on the individual, team, and organisational level; and ICUData4EU focusing on developing a federated data sharing platform, linked to EHDS, for ICUs.
The EFN members had the opportunity to hear from ICN, EFNNMA and ENSA ongoing activities.
Furthermore, as the international community prepares for the rebuilding of Gaza, the EFN members found it important to have an EFN statement on “Rebuilding Gaza – A call for nurse-led recovery and sustainable health systems”, showing the European nursing community solidarity with the nursing colleagues and all healthcare professionals who have served with courage, compassion, and humanity under unimaginable conditions. The EFN statement urges that nurses in Gaza are fully supported and recognised as key partners in the reconstruction process. Their participation must be ensured at every level – from policy planning to implementation.
As the 121st EFN GA is officially over, the EFN wants to thank all the EFN Members for the important discussions held over the past two days, which provide a clear path forward for the EFN’s lobby work in the upcoming months, and is happy to welcome the new EFN Executive Committee and two new EFN Members.
The next EFN General Assembly will take place in Cyprus, on 16-17 April 2026, during the Cyprus EU Presidency.