On November 17, the Civil Society Forum of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) adopted its first discussion paper on the strategy and future role of HERA. The drafting of the paper was coordinated by the BioMed Alliance and it recommends increased investment into health emergency preparedness and response in addition to closer integration of strategies on the EU level. It focuses on a range of issues including strong and separate funding streams, enhanced coordination and the need to have a broader scope beyond merely medical countermeasures to immediate health emergencies. The paper will inform the upcoming mid-term review of HERA’s mandate in 2024