On Tuesday 3 October in Strasbourg, MEPs and the European Commission stressed the need for action to tackle shortages of certain medicines in Europe, albeit with different ambitions and sensitivities.
In a plenary debate introduced by the Commission, MEPs welcomed the fact that the Commission will be presenting a communication on the availability of medicines on 24 October.
Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health, defended her reform of pharmaceutical products and listed the actions to be taken to avoid shortages of medicines. The aim of the proposed reform is to strengthen the pharmaceutical sector in Europe, said the Commissioner in response to those who argue that the proposals discourage innovation. Ms Kyriakides evoked the measures adopted, such as the strengthening of the mandate of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the creation of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
The communication of 24 October sets out a number of actions designed to improve the availability and security of supplies of medicines at all times. “We will have to establish real solidarity between the Member States”, commented the commissioner. In addition, the list of the most essential medicines will be available by the end of 2023. The Commission will also be reviewing the rules for public procurement in the field of medicines. The Commission is considering the creation of European stocks and a revision of the rules on public procurement, as well as a European warning system to rapidly identify shortage problems and activate solidarity mechanisms.
Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatian) pointed out that between 2017 and 2019, reports of shortages of medicines in the EU increased by 60%, while medicines for the treatment of cancer, infections and nervous system disorders accounted for more than half of the medicines in short supply. He agreed with others that the proposed reform of pharmaceutical products was a step in the right direction, but called for more ambitious measures, including a genuine industrial policy.
Nicolás González Casares (S&D, Spanish) considers that the EU must limit its dependence on China. Sara Cerdas (S&D, Portuguese) spoke of the usefulness of group purchasing of essential medicines that are in short supply and the importance of diversifying production sites in different EU countries.
Susana Solís Pérez (Renew Europe, Spanish) believes that the shortage of medicines (antibiotics, children’s medicines) is getting worse and that the EU is already “dangerously dependent” on a very small number of manufacturers and regions, including China and India, “and we are suffering from a constant loss of competitiveness in a sector where we were once leaders”. According to Frédérique Ries (Renew Europe, Belgian), “the shortages are endemic and the trend is alarming in three out of four Member States”. She called for a genuine solidarity mechanism between Member States.
“We must not wait for new legislation before taking action”, said Joanna Kopcińska (ECR, Polish).
Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxemburgish) suggested several actions: - transparency of production chains; - relocating the production of medicines; - the creation of a European public medicines infrastructure with research and development capacities, as well as production capacities for essential medicines to ensure a safety net for the supply to Europeans.
Speaking to journalists, Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, French) noted an increasing shortage of medicines. “Some of them are no longer under patent, so pharmaceutical companies no longer want to manufacture them”, she lamented. The EU wants to regain its sovereignty over active ingredients: it has paid the EMA to draw up a list of medicines that are in short supply, “but this list is still not there”. The Greens/EFA Group has called for the creation of a public establishment for manufacturing, like the CIVICA alliance in the United States. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur with Hélène Seynaeve)