Healthier people are an asset for both society and the economy; they require less support from public budgets and healthcare systems and can more effectively contribute to the labour force. At the same time, the health sector is a significant provider of employment and a source of innovation. But what can the EU do to build on this potential, help improve the sustainability of health systems and ensure that health considerations are taken into account across all policies? What emphasis should be given to health promotion and disease prevention, and what does the Juncker Commission hope to achieve by 2019? In order to address these points and to discuss the Commission’s priorities, the Coalition for Health, Ethics and Society (CHES) Annual Lecture was given by Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. CHES, a joint initiative by the EPC and Johnson & Johnson, aims to promote multi-stakeholder dialogue between health and non-health practitioners on topical issues.