EU negotiators, representing member states and the European Parliament, reached a consensus geared toward reducing the Union’s reliance on imported pharmaceuticals.
Under the proposed framework, the establishment of “strategic projects” across the EU is planned. These projects aim to build, modernize, and expand regional production capacities for essential medicines, including antibiotics, insulin, and vaccines. A core mandate established by this agreement requires that any company receiving financial backing-whether at the national or EU level-must prioritize supplying the European Union market. The initiative is designed to benefit not only drugs that are insufficiently available across multiple countries to meet patient demand but also specialized medicines for rare diseases.
Furthermore, EU purchasers will be obligated to adopt procurement regulations that promote the diversification of sources for critical medicines and their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). To enhance solidarity, the European Commission will be authorized to initiate tendering procedures on behalf of member states if a request is submitted by five or more countries.
Tomislav Sokol, the EU Parliament’s rapporteur on the subject and a Croatian MEP, emphasized the significance of the agreement, stating that it places “the interests of the patients clearly at the center, strengthens Europe’s resilience, and promotes the competitiveness of our pharmaceutical sector”. He added that implementing joint EU-level procurement measures represents concrete action against shortages, ensuring supply security while sending a clear signal that Europe is committed to reinforcing its pharmaceutical production base.
It should be noted that these newly agreed-upon regulations will only enter into force following joint approval from both the European Parliament and the Council.
