The European Parliament's Public Health Committee, in an opinion voted on March 19 on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework beyond 2027, stressed the importance of funding drug production capacity in the EU and called for sufficient resources to develop and stockpile essential medical supplies.
EU Parliament Health Committee in favor of providing funds in the Union budget for drug production
Published March 20, 2025 09:09
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The first vote of the newly formed Public Health Committee was on the opinion for the Budget Committee on the Multiannual Financial Framework beyond 2027, the Union's long-term budget. The current Multiannual Financial Framework runs until the end of 2027. Comprehensive proposals for the period after 2027 are being prepared for 2025.
- We have an EU list of critical medicines, but there is no EU fund for relocating their production, because it will not return to Europe if it is not profitable. Therefore, in our opinion, the European Union should include funds for this purpose in its budget," says Krzysztof Kopeć, president of National Drug Manufacturers.
- This is a very important opinion of the Public Health Committee because of its work on the Critical Medicines Act. Our government and MEP Adam Jarubas are pushing for the creation of a special fund for this purpose, which will allow us to pull the production of these drugs to Europe, in order to become independent of non-EU supplies in case of future crises. It should be fed from the Multiannual Financial Framework, as this is the best source," adds Grzegorz Rychwalski, vice president of the National Drug Manufacturers.
In its opinion, the Public Health Committee recognized that health preparedness is essential to the Union's strategic autonomy. It called for sufficient resources for the development of
and stockpiling of essential medical products at the EU level, and supported the establishment of the Alliance for Critical Medicines. She stressed the importance of financing production capacity in the Union and reducing dependence on third countries. She recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic proved the EU's vulnerability to disruptions in the supply chain of essential products such as critical medicines, vaccines and medical equipment.
- Since we consider semiconductors and other raw materials critical and are willing to finance their production with public funds, all the more deserving are the drugs that save Europeans' lives, commented Adam Jarubas, chairman of the Public Health Committee. - What if, as with energy from Russia, we come to face an overnight cutoff of imports of these drugs? - he added.
Source: National Drug Manufacturers
