High-Level Event: Liver Health in the EU Public Health Agenda: Acting Earlier to Prevent Cardio-Renal-Hepatic-Metabolic Diseases – The Case of MASLD

On June 3, 2026, ELPA convened a high-level policy roundtable at the European Parliament in Brussels.  The event brought together policymakers, patient leaders, clinicians, researchers, international organisations, and public health experts to advance the integration of liver health into Europe’s non-communicable disease (NCD) agenda.

Hosted by MEP Nikos Papandreou (S&D, Greece) and MEP Michalis Hadjipantela (EPP, Cyprus), the event focused on the growing burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its close links with cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases.  Entitled “Liver Health in the EU Public Health Agenda: Acting Earlier to Prevent Cardio-Renal-Hepatic-Metabolic Diseases – The Case of MASLD”, the discussion highlighted the urgent need to recognise liver disease as a public health priority rather than a condition managed solely within hepatology. Participants stressed that MASLD is often the first visible sign of broader metabolic dysfunction, providing a unique opportunity for earlier intervention before complications develop.  The roundtable was deliberately aligned with key international and European policy developments, including the recently adopted WHO Resolution on Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD) and the emerging European Safe Heart Plan, reinforcing the importance of integrated approaches across liver, cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic health. Throughout the discussions, speakers emphasised that prevention, early detection, and multidisciplinary care should become central pillars of future EU health policies.  The programme featured four thematic panels covering the full patient pathway—from prevention and risk identification to integrated care and policy implementation. Contributions came from representatives of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), IDF Europe, United European Gastroenterology (UEG), leading academic institutions, healthcare professionals, and patient organisations. Topics included community-based screening, primary care pathways, integrated management of cardio-renal-hepatic-metabolic diseases, and the translation of scientific evidence into effective public health policy.