An emergency health financing facility for the European Union. A proposal

Abstract

The unprecedented public health crisis caused by COVID-19 overstretched the structures and mechanisms of the European Union, in particular those that deal with emergencies. In order to be ready for the next health emergency, we propose the creation of the Emergency Health Financing Facility. In its broader version, this Facility integrates some of the existing EU emergencies structures and adds a new layer for the most extreme emergencies that does not increase the burden on public finances. This new layer essentially consists of securitizing health emergency risks in the form of fixed income securities that are sold to institutional investors. The Facility follows the growth of marketbased risk financing facilities across global and regional initiatives, led by the World Bank.