As Stella Kyriakides prepares to appear before MEPs for her oral hearing on the evening of 1st October, it is time to analyse her written answers. The candidate for the position of Health Commissioner discusses her priorities in turn, such as the fight against cancer or the fight against antimicrobial resistance. More surprisingly, she does not mention the common evaluation of medicines.
Introduced two years ago, this draft regulation, known as HTA, introduces "common clinical assessments" to determine the added value of a new drug or certain new medical devices. However, it is currently blocked in the EU Council due to the German and French opposition, among others (see EUROPE 12214/30). In her answers to MEPs, Stella Kyriakides does not even mention it, nor did President-elect Ursula von der Leyen in her political priorities or in her mission letter to the Cypriot candidate (EPP).
In her answers to MEPs, however, we learn that the Commissioner-designate does not intend to give in to pressure from the Member States and postpone the deadline for transposing the texts on medical devices and in vitro medical devices, as requested by Ireland and Germany at the last Health Council (see EUROPE 12290/5).
General priorities
For the rest, the Cypriot ticks off her priorities one by one, without giving too much detail on the position she will take.
Not surprisingly, echoing Ursula von der Leyen, she places the fight against cancer at the top of her priorities (see EUROPE 12298/19). She mentioned in particular a cancer research mission in the future Horizon Europe programme.
Access to medicines is also enforced in the 14-page response document. "I want to ensure the affordable and accessible supply of medicines to all patients. (...) I will work with the industry and Member States to mitigate shortages of medicines in Europe. I am also committed to supporting Member States in their efforts to ensure affordable, accessible and high quality medicines", explains this psychologist by training, without pointing out the real problem, namely that each Member State negotiates in isolation with the pharmaceutical industry.
She also promises to look at the regulation of orphan and paediatric medicines once the joint assessment conducted by the Juncker Commission is published.
Endocrine disrupters: nothing before 2020
It should be noted that, with regard to endocrine disrupters, Stella Kyriakides is aware of the criticisms of the former mandate of the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12239/3). She recalled that a fitness check, including the absence of horizontal criteria and the different regulatory consequences according to policy areas, is ongoing and will be published early next year. The outcome will guide the work of the future Commission, she noted.
See written answers: http://bit.ly/2n5IH66 (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)