This book examines the actorness of the European Parliament (EP) and its roles in global health. In doing so, it appreciates to what extent this democratically elected entity can be considered as a global health actor.

Applying an original analytical framework to measure actorness, the book assesses the EP’s capacity to act regarding five major global health issues including the pandemic response, access to essential medicines in developing countries, international trade and global health, medical research and development in the field of poverty-related and neglected diseases (PRNDs), and global health governance. It demonstrates that, despite many challenges, the EP has indeed displayed a polymorphic actorness and multiple roles towards most of these global health issues, especially by succeeding in mobilizing its main competences and instruments to deal with them, finalizing initiatives, and having a substantive influence on the way they were addressed.

As such, the book reveals the salience of democratically elected institutions for global health governance. This book will be of key interest to students and scholars of European studies, global and regional health, legislative studies, and International Relations, but also to parliamentarians and (non-) governmental actors engaged in global health.

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