The report asks the Commission to use the
upcoming pharmaceutical
strategy to address the issue of availability,
accessibility and affordability of safe medicines in
Europe.
Return to EU independence in the health sector
In the approved text, MEPs call on the Commission to find
ways to restore pharmaceutical manufacturing in Europe,
giving priority to essential and strategic medicines as
currently 40% of medicines marketed in the EU originate in
non-EU countries, while 60 - 80% of active pharmaceutical
ingredients are produced in China and India.
MEPs encourage the introduction of financial incentives, in
line with state aid rules, to persuade producers to make
active pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines in Europe.
They also welcome the new EU health programme EU4Health to make
medicines and medical equipment more available and more
accessible.
Better coordination with and between EU
countries
The report calls for member states to share best practices
in stock management and create coordinated health
strategies, including further use of joint EU procurement
of medicines. It also calls on the Commission to create a
European contingency reserve of medicines of strategic
importance, along the lines of the RescEU mechanism.
It should function as “an emergency European pharmacy” in
order to minimise shortages. Equal access for all member
states should be ensured through a new mechanism of just
distribution.
To make medicines circulate more easily between EU
countries, they also want more flexible rules on packaging
formats, reuse procedures, longer expiry periods and the
use of veterinary medicinal products.
Quote
After the vote, the rapporteur Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé
(EPP, FR) said: “Public health has become a
geostrategic weapon that can bring a continent to its
knees. Our dependence on third countries has been exposed
by the current pandemic. It is necessary to relocate
certain types of production, to harmonise legislation and
to strengthen cooperation between member states in order to
achieve greater solidarity and to regain our independence.
I call in my report for a genuine pharmaceutical industrial
strategy.”
Next steps
The report is expected to be on the agenda of the September
plenary session of the European Parliament.
