The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU aims to bring the Council and the European Parliament to an agreement on the proposal on critical medicines, according to its work programme published at the end of December 2025 (see EUROPE 13774/21). It will have to lead the negotiations with the European Parliament (trilogues) on this dossier.
Mental health is one of the priorities, with discussions planned at the high-level conference organised in Cyprus in January on this theme, as well as at the informal meeting of European health ministers on 5 and 6 February.
Cyprus wants to defend adequate funding for health-related actions, programmes and initiatives within the EU’s new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The Cyprus Presidency will initiate discussions on the need to create a European Centre of Clinical Excellence regarding pharmaceutical products.
The EU Council’s work will begin on the targeted revision of the EU Regulation on Medical Devices, the future legislation on biotechnologies (Biotech Act) and the EU Cardiovascular Action Plan.
The ‘Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs’ Council will take stock, on 16 June, of medical devices and the Biotech Act, as well as the negotiations for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and those for one or more agreements with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein on emergency health measures in the field of medical countermeasures.
To see the Cyprus Presidency’s Work Programme: https://aeur.eu/f/k4d and the provisional agenda for ministerial meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/k5o (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)