Source: European Parliament
On 15 July 2025, the Commission presented its legislative proposal which aims to tackle shortages of critical medical products on EU level, and to strengthen supply chains, improve supply security, as well support innovation. It complements and builds on other pieces of legislation, such as pharmaceutical reform, as well builds on industrial policy measures. The proposal foresees using public procurement as a tool, inter alia to support resilient products via award criteria.
The Commission will issue guidelines on this. Moreover, the proposal covers the facilitation of cross border procurement and acting by the Commission as public buyer on behalf of Member States. Members broadly welcomed the initiative, recognizing the need for structural solutions to secure access to medicines and avoid future crises similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns were raised regarding the balance of competences between the EU and Member States, the risk of unnecessary bureaucracy and the absence of a full impact assessment of the proposal. Some Members stressed that access of patients to medical products must remain the core focus. They also highlighted the importance of defining clear sustainability criteria, ensuring fair distribution among Member States, and avoiding protectionist approaches.
The Commission said the goal is to make sure that all EU citizens have fair access to critical medical products, and to reduce dependence on third countries.