Vaccines and medicines should be affordable and accessible to all

Brussels, 25 November 2020- The European Commission presented this wednesday its Pharmaceutical Strategy. The Strategy aims to ensure the supply of medicines and vaccines to all citizens in the European Union (EU) and encourage innovation from European pharmaceutical companies. 

The group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) welcomes the Pharmaceutical Strategy and calls for more transparency in investment and the prevention of pharmaceutical monopolies.  

On Thursday, in a debate dedicated to this topic, the majority of Members of Parliament welcomed the Strategy and called for an increase in production capacity in the EU to ensure safe and affordable medicines for all. 

Kim van Sparrentak, MEP and member of the EFA of the Internal Market and the Consumer Protection Committee considers that “It is good that the Commission acknowledges that our pharmaceutical system does not meet patients’ health needs, and that it is characterised by excessive prices of medicines and disproportional revenues. (...) If this Commission wants to ensure accessible and affordable medicines for all European citizens, the review of pharma legislation cannot be put on hold any longer.” 

MEPs emphasized the need to decrease the EU's dependence on imports of active pharmaceutical ingredients from third countries, notably by increasing their production in the EU and by supporting innovation in the EU pharmaceutical industry.

Watch this debate here.

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