Measures to ensure the availability of critical medicines and address shortages in “small markets”, Dimitris Tsiodras calls for, in a question to the European Commission. Specifically, he asks the Commission whether it is considering the creation of a joint cooperation mechanism for joint procurement between Member States facing similar challenges in terms of availability, access to innovative medicines, and addressing shortages.

Underlines that many innovative pharmaceutical products are not available or are released with significant delays in some markets, causing inequalities among patients in the EU, while smaller Member States tend to pay higher prices

It adds that “the EU faces shortages of 33 medicines and is dependent on a limited number of third-country suppliers for raw materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), with the consequences of this dependence becoming evident during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.”
He concludes by referring to the need for investment and the creation of a more favourable framework to strengthen the EU’s production capacities, as to reduce the EU’s dependence on third country trading partners with the ultimate aim of enhancing the security and resilience of pharmaceutical supply chains.

The full text of the question follows:

Question requesting a written answer to the Commission

Subject: Ensuring the availability of critical medicines and addressing shortages in ‘small markets’

Access to critical medicines varies significantly from one Member State to another due to factors such as market size.

Many innovative pharmaceutical products are not marketed or are launched with significant delays in some markets, causing inequalities between patients in the EU, while smaller Member States tend to pay higher prices.

In addition, the EU faces shortages of 33 medicines and depends on a limited number of third-world country suppliers for raw materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients. The consequences of this dependence became evident during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Will the Commission say:

1. how it will encourage the joint procurement of critical medicines and other medicines of common interest, with a particular focus on “small markets” and whether it will consider establishing a voluntary joint procurement cooperation mechanism between Member States facing similar challenges in terms of availability, access to innovative medicines and avoiding shortages;

2. How will it encourage investment and create a more favourable framework for strengthening the EU’s production capacities?
3. What actions will it take to reduce dependence on third country trading partners and enhance the security and resilience of pharmaceutical supply chains?
How will it strengthen the EU’s capacity to promote the competitiveness of its pharmaceutical industry and improve its competitiveness?