The European Parliament’s first debate on its draft Biotech Act report showed broad political support for strengthening Europe’s biotechnology sector, while exposing disagreements over how best to boost innovation, streamline clinical trials and incentivize investment.
Presenting their joint report, co-rapporteurs Wouter Beke MEP (EPP, Belgium) from the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) committee and Vytenis Andriukaitis MEP (S&D, Lithuania) from the Public Health (SANT) committee argued the legislation should position Europe as a global biotechnology leader by linking competitiveness with better patient access.
Beke warned that Europe is steadily losing ground to the United States and China in venture capital, clinical trials, manufacturing and commercialization, arguing that biotechnology has become “deeply geopolitical”….
