A group of five German MEPs from the European People's Party (PPE) has warned the European Commission that the EU risks becoming fully dependent on China for vitamins, with potentially severe consequences for food and health security. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 12 June 2026, Stefan Köhler, Herbert Dorfmann, Norbert Lins, Alexander Bernhuber, and Andreas Schwab argue that the remaining EU vitamin production capacity is at risk of irreversible loss due to global price distortions driven by structural overcapacity in China. They stress that vitamins are essential micronutrients for human nutrition, are on the EU list of critical medicines, are a key component of infant formula, and are vital for animal health and agricultural productivity.
The MEPs ask the Commission three specific questions: how it assesses the importance of vitamins as critical molecules for European health and food security; whether it is aware of the risk of irreversible loss of EU vitamin production and its implications; and whether it is planning measures to reduce dependency and support production in the EU. The question does not propose concrete numerical targets or deadlines, but it signals a clear policy orientation toward reducing strategic dependencies on China for essential inputs, in line with broader EU efforts to strengthen open strategic autonomy. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will indicate whether it shares the MEPs' concerns and whether it is considering support measures for the sector.
The issue touches on multiple stakeholders: EU vitamin producers, who face competitive pressure from Chinese overcapacity; EU consumers, who could face supply disruptions or price increases for supplements and fortified foods; EU farmers, who rely on vitamins for animal feed; and EU health authorities, who depend on vitamins as critical medicines. The MEPs' intervention adds to ongoing debates about EU strategic dependencies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, though no prior coverage of this specific vitamin dependency issue exists in recent months.