As anticipated in yesterday’s (11 May) ‘Inside EU Health’, the Council and Parliament were able to reach a provisional agreement on the Critical Medicines Act (CMA). The deal was sealed at 6:00 this morning after a punishing 12 hours of negotiations. European policy making is not for the faint-hearted.
“Through today’s agreement we are placing patients’ interests firmly at the centre, strengthening Europe’s resilience and boosting the competitiveness of our pharmaceutical sector,” said rapporteur Tomislav Sokol (Croatia, EPP). “By introducing collaborative procurement at the EU level, we are taking concrete action to address shortages and ensure security of supply.
Missing piece in pharma legislation
Many of the issues that the Critical Medicines Act seeks to address: accessibility, affordability and availability of medicines were areas that were not fully agreed on in the General Pharmaceutical Legislation (GPL). It was hoped that the CMA could address some of the GPL’s shortcomings.
“The Critical Medicines Act is closely linked…
