Greek MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI) has submitted a written parliamentary question to the European Commission, blaming EU pharmaceutical policies and the US-Israeli war in the Middle East for worsening medicine shortages and price increases. He argues that the EU's pharmaceutical strategy prioritises industry profits over patient needs, and calls for immediate state intervention to control stocks, prices, and production.
The question, filed on 20 April 2026 under Rule 144, contains three concrete demands: first, that the Commission acknowledge the impact of the war and EU policies on medicine access; second, that it impose price and stock controls for the duration of the conflict; and third, that it compel pharmaceutical companies to produce needed medicines at regulated prices without further subsidies.
Policy orientation and ambition Nikolaou-Alavanos advocates for a sharp shift away from market-driven pharmaceutical governance toward direct public control. His question frames shortages and high prices as deliberate profiteering by pharmaceutical monopolies, enabled by EU deregulation. The MEP does not propose gradual reforms but demands emergency measures that would override normal market mechanisms, including mandatory production at company expense.
Expected follow-up The Commission is required to reply within approximately six weeks. Its response will signal whether it shares the MEP's diagnosis or defends existing policies. Given the question's critical tone and its linkage of EU policy to geopolitical events, the answer may clarify the Commission's stance on emergency health measures and its willingness to intervene in pharmaceutical markets.
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