A group of health ministers from 11 EU member states proposed including the procurement of critically important medicines in the scope of the EU's Security and Defense Funds.
UNN reports with reference to Euronews.
Details
Health ministers from Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia called for the integration of the Critical Medicines Act into the EU's autonomy and security strategy.
The proposal aims to transform the initiative into a large-scale strategic program supported by EU defense funding, according to Euronews.
The Critical Medicines Act must be a robust instrument. Part of its funding should be included in broader EU defense spending plans, including the financial mechanisms of the new defense package. Ultimately, without essential medicines, Europe's defense capability is compromised.
For reference
The Critical Medicines Act is one of the European Commission's key health priorities and aims to address the acute shortage of essential medicines. It focuses on medicines that are difficult to obtain or whose supply depends on a few manufacturers or countries.
The Commission is preparing a legislative initiative on an accelerated basis, but the haste has raised some concerns that developers may not have adequately assessed the potential impact and consequences of the new measures, Euronews writes.
Critical Medicines Act
Regarding plans to use defense funds for the procurement of critically important medicines.
Access to 800 billion euros is expected to be obtained, which the European Commission is to mobilize over the next four years as part of the "Rearm Europe" plan. The main provisions have already been agreed upon by leaders at an extraordinary EU summit last week.
Thanks to a new mechanism that will allow the Commission to borrow on capital markets, issue bonds, and provide loans to member states, approximately 150 billion euros are expected to be obtained.
Consequences for health budgets
The fate of the EU's special fund for strengthening health systems' resilience is currently a pressing issue in the EU. The EU4Health program, developed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, received 5.3 billion euros in funding, which was considered significant aid. However, recent budget changes must also be taken into account. In this regard, the reallocation of 1 billion euros from EU4Health to partially fund the aid package for Ukraine should be highlighted.
Healthcare expenditure may be combined with other expenditures. Defense spending may be expanded to include the procurement of vital medicines.
This refers to an amount of up to 1.5% of GDP. It is also indicated that they will not be limited in the next 4 years.
If the European Commission and the European Parliament approve this proposal from the 11 countries, it will be included in the agenda for a quick discussion of the Critical Medicines Act.