2 March 2022

MEP Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg) serves as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Public Health (SANT) and Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with South Africa (D-ZA). She is a member of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also a substitute member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN).

Before being elected to the European Parliament in 2018, MEP Metz worked as a teacher and later served as deputy headmistress at the Lycée Technique pour Professions Educatives et Sociales in Luxembourg. She was also actively involved in local politics, including serving as mayor of Weiler-la-Tour, and has long been committed to advancing health, social inclusion, and environmental protection. 

One of MEP Metz’s core priorities is addressing modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes. Lifestyle-related factors such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and unhealthy diets are major drivers of diabetes prevalence across Europe. Additionally, studies show that the social determinants of health (e.g. low income, insecure employment, limited education or food insecurity) account for 30 to 55% of health outcomes. Environmental determinants such as air quality, exposure to harmful substances and access to healthy and sustainable food systems play a key role in shaping population health outcomes and influencing diabetes risk. Strengthening preventive policies that address these interconnected risk factors is essential to reducing the burden of diabetes and improving long-term public health outcomes. 

We wish to thank MEP Metz for her support and look forward to working closely together to advance prevention strategies that address environmental and lifestyle-related risk factors for diabetes, while promoting healthier and more sustainable environments across the European Union.