08/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - The President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), Franz Humer (Roche) addressed the Kangaroo Group on 5 October chaired by German Christian Democrat Karl von Wogau. Humer highlighted that the research-based pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe can make a major contribution towards achieving the Lisbon Strategy and the target of investing 3% of the EU's GDP in R+D. He said improvements were required to ensure citizens have faster access to new medicines and innovative medicines should be rewarded instead of being the prime target of cost-containment policies (although the EU rightly claims to promote innovation).