On Monday evening, the Parliament’s Public Health Committee approved proposals to enhance the availability of essential medicines across the European Union. The draft bill, which received 27 votes in favour, one against, and eight abstentions, seeks to ensure a high level of public health protection for EU citizens by reducing the Union’s reliance on third countries and strengthening the competitiveness of its pharmaceutical sector.
The proposed legislation supports the establishment of industrial “strategic projects” across the EU to create, modernise, and enhance the manufacturing capacity for critical medicines and their key ingredients. In March 2025, the Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation on critical medication to strengthen its availability in the EU. This proposal also aims to improve access to certain medicines identified as being of common interest that face market challenges.
Notably, over 50% of reported medicine shortages stem from manufacturing-related issues, including shortages of active substances. To foster a coordinated EU approach and provide legal certainty for project promoters, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are advocating for the Commission to establish assessment guidelines for these projects. The report underscores the necessity for the EU, including through regional funding, and EU member states to prioritise financial support for strategic initiatives.
Furthermore, MEPs propose the creation of a dedicated “Critical Medicines Security Fund” within the EU’s upcoming multiannual financial framework (MFF). They also emphasise the importance of public procurement procedures that enable contracts to be awarded to multiple suppliers for the same product, thereby promoting supply diversification and ensuring production distribution across various manufacturers and geographical locations within the EU. It is recommended that contracting authorities implement procurement requirements that favour producers manufacturing a substantial proportion of critical medicines within the EU.
“Today’s vote is a defining moment for Europe’s health security. We are committed to strengthening the availability and supply of critical medicines for all EU citizens. We are tackling persistent shortages and reducing our dependence on a limited number of external suppliers. The report sets out the strategic projects, collaborative procurement, and incentives needed to boost EU pharmaceutical manufacturing while ensuring fair access to essential medicines such as antibiotics, insulin, and pain treatments. It would bring us closer to a resilient, independent, and patient-centric pharmaceutical ecosystem that delivers stability and better care across the EU,” explained rapporteur Tomislav Sokol (EPP, HR).
The report outlines the benefits of voluntary collaborative procurement initiatives involving cooperation among three or more EU countries, as well as joint procurement initiatives that include the Commission and at least five EU member states. Such collaboration is particularly valuable for enhancing the accessibility of medicines, especially those related to rare diseases, antimicrobials, and other innovative, high-cost, or specialised treatments.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are advocating for the creation of an EU coordination mechanism to manage national stockpiles and contingency stocks of essential medicines. Furthermore, they propose that the Commission be granted, as a last resort, the authority to decide on the redistribution of medicines from one national stockpile to others in situations where a critical medicinal product faces a shortage or supply disruption.
It is anticipated that Parliament’s position will be formally adopted during the plenary session scheduled for January 2026, following which negotiations with EU governments will commence.
