EU negotiators agreed on Tuesday on rules to make it easier to support the production of critical medicines with public funds in a bid to tackle drug shortages.
Representatives of the European Parliament and EU member states said the measures were intended to strengthen the bloc's pharmaceutical supply chains and reduce dependence on external suppliers.
"With today's agreement, we are taking practical action to reduce our vulnerabilities, diversify supply chains and strengthen Europe's capacity to produce critical medicines and their ingredients closer to home," said Cypriot Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides, whose country currently holds the rotating EU Council presidency.
The new regulation, known as the Critical Medicines Act (CMA), still requires formal approval from the European Parliament and EU member states before it can take effect, although such approval is typically a formality once negotiators have reached a compromise.
In recent years, people across Europe have at times been unable to obtain certain medicines from pharmacies, including painkillers, antibiotics and fever medication for children.
Public procurement rules to prioritize EU-made drugs
One part of the new rules concerns public procurement, under which EU-produced drugs would generally be favoured in public tenders for critical medicines that are heavily dependent on one or a small number of supplier countries.
The provisional agreement also foresees faster approvals and easier access to funding for so-called strategic projects. In addition, several EU countries will be able to jointly procure important medicines, including treatments for rare diseases where the market is considered insufficient.
The European Commission defines critical medicines as drugs for which there are few or no alternatives and whose shortage could seriously harm patients. The category includes antibiotics, cancer treatments and cardiovascular medicines.
According to the Commission, there are several reasons for medicine shortages in the EU in recent years, including shortages of active pharmaceutical ingredients and the concentration of production in a small number of countries.
EU health ministers said last year that around 80% to 90% of medicines used in Europe originate in Asia, particularly China.
