During the second session of the One Health Policy Clinic, held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the One Health approach was explored in depth in the context of European Union law by Prof. Teresa Maria Moschetta and in the context of international law by Prof. Alice Riccardi.

Part One of the Lecture – One Health in European Union Law 

Professor Teresa Maria Moschetta traced the evolution of this approach starting with Regulation 2021/552, which contains the first legal definition of the approach. She then demonstrated how the One Health approach is reflected in the Green Deal and in recent legislation: the Nature Restoration Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and the Regulation on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health. At the operational level, implementation is carried out by European agencies: ECHA, EFSA, ECDC, EMA, and EEA. These agencies work together in a joint task force with a 2024–2026 action plan based on data sharing and multidisciplinary risk assessments. The European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism has identified the priorities for the coming years: coordination, collaboration, integrated surveillance, prevention, and training.

Part Two of the Lecture – One Health in International Law

Globally, the picture is more fragmented. Professor Alice Riccardi described a system that is still organized into “silos,” with one treaty for human health, one for food security, one for animals, and one for the environment. The WHO, FAO, UNEP, and WOAH each operate within their own sectors, according to the principle of specialization. This division results in a lack of coordination and conflicts of jurisdiction. The Quadripartite Memorandum seeks to overcome this fragmentation, but it is legally fragile: each party is accountable only for its own actions. The most significant development is the 2025 Pandemic Treaty. For the first time, it imposes prevention obligations on states and introduces rules of equity among countries: those who develop vaccines must guarantee 20% of production to the WHO, half as a donation and half at an affordable price.

Has the One Health approach already become a binding right? Not yet. The process is underway, but the outcome depends on how committed the member states are willing to be.