New pharmaceutical package provides prescription to safeguard the availability, affordability and equal access of medicines for all Europeans

The revision of the pharmaceutical package approved this afternoon in ENVI Committee has the full support of Renew Europe as it strikes the right balance of ensuring adequate incentives for conducting research and development for new medicines, while also improving access and availability in the entire EU. The revision ensures greater harmonisation of the internal market of medicinal products and speeds up the process of getting medicines approved, introduces new tools to counter shortages of medicines, enables the extension of joint purchasing and will improve the availability, affordability and equal access of medicines for all Europeans.

The Renew Europe group would also like to highlight the work done by both Renew Europe shadows, whose negotiating skills have led to a future-proof pharmaceutical package that benefits public health. Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Frédérique Ries and Mrs. Catherine Amalric, Renew Europe has secured key priorities for the group, such as:

- A new provision for the establishment of a European Framework for Rare Disease to enable successful orphan medical products and tailor – made healthcare for those patients, while guaranteeing extended group purchasing of medicines for the treatment of rare and chronic diseases or antibiotics.

- Equal access to contraceptive and abortifacient medicines for all women across the EU by lifting the possibility of banning or restricting the purchase and the use of those medicinal products.

- Strengthening the European pharmaceutical ecosystem, by introducing new incentives for research and development.

- Countering the threat of antimicrobial resistance by combining the transferable exclusivity voucher with a push and pull mechanism to stimulate the development of new antimicrobials.

MEP Catherine Amalric (Parti Radical, France), shadow rapporteur for the directive on medicinal products for human use says:

"This a huge victory for the Health Union. Today's vote will lead the way towards a real Europe for medicines. The revision of European pharmaceutical legislation will give all European citizens access to fairer, safer and more sustainable medicines, while enabling the production of medicines to be relocated in Europe and encouraging research and innovation."

MEP Frédérique Ries (MR, Belgium), shadow rapporteur for the regulation of medical products for human use comments:

"Imagine a world where the health of Europeans is a priority, because the patients themselves are in the driving seat with the experts. A world where European authorities come to the rescue of destabilised production chains to prevent shortages and organise European solidarity. A world that embraces progress by pushing the development of innovative treatments for the needs that remain unmet. A world that is resolutely committed to supporting the most vulnerable with a major European Rare Diseases Plan. This is the world that transpires from the vote in committee and confirms our ambition to build a more resilient and healthier Europe."