On 3 June 2026, the European Parliament's ENVI committee held a public hearing on building health resilience and ensuring preparedness of public health systems, with a focus on the supply of critical medicinal products. The debate revealed a split between MEPs favouring binding EU-level obligations and those prioritising national flexibility. S&D MEP Tiemo Wölken called for binding targets for domestic manufacturing of essential active pharmaceutical ingredients, while Greens-EFA MEP Margrete Auken questioned whether the proposed Critical Medicines Act would include sufficient enforcement mechanisms. On the other side, ECR MEP Joanna Kopcińska argued for more flexibility for member states in stockpiling decisions, and some EPP members supported national discretion. EPP MEP Peter Liese stressed the importance of strategic autonomy in pharmaceutical production. Renew Europe MEP Véronique Trillet-Lenoir pushed back against excessive reliance on non-EU suppliers, urging the Commission to use trade policy to diversify supply chains. The Left MEP Kateřina Konečná warned against market-based solutions, advocating instead for public production capacities.
ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner highlighted the need for stronger EU coordination on stockpiling and procurement of critical medicines, warning that fragmentation among member states undermines crisis response. EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi confirmed that the Commission will present a legislative proposal on critical medicines by end of 2026, including measures on joint procurement and strategic reserves. The hearing sets the stage for an ENVI own-initiative report that will feed into the Commission's proposal. Affected stakeholders include pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers, hospitals, and patients reliant on essential medicines. The divergence between binding EU obligations and national flexibility will shape the upcoming legislative debate, with implications for supply chain security and public health preparedness.