In a 18 May 2026 plenary debate on securing medicine access, the European Parliament broadly supported reducing dependencies on third countries but diverged on whether to rely on industry incentives or public production, and on the pace of implementation.
Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi highlighted the provisional agreement on the Critical Medicines Act, which includes strategic projects for EU manufacturing, resilience in public procurement, and collaborative procurement for medicines of common interest. He also referenced the Biotech Act and Health Technology Assessment Regulation.
EPP's Tomislav Sokol praised the Act's solidarity mechanism preventing stockpiling that harms other member states. Vytenis Andriukaitis (S&D) called for a European Health Union with diversified supply chains and joint procurement. Patriots' Viktória Ferenc stressed sovereignty and reducing reliance on third countries, while ECR's Ruggero Razza emphasized overhauling directives to bring pharma back to the EU. Renew's Stine Bosse warned against US 'most favoured nation' policy harming European patients. Greens' Ignazio Marino urged treating health as a European matter, not national. The Left's Catarina Martins criticised high medicine prices and called for public procurement for orphan drugs.
Several MEPs, including Nicolás González Casares (S&D) and Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (Renew), framed medicine access as a security issue. Tomasz Buczek (ECR) questioned EU solidarity, citing Poland's vaccine experience. Kateřina Konečná (The Left) criticised the Commission's global health initiative as repackaged funds.
Patients could benefit from more resilient supply and lower prices if public production is pursued, but may face delays if industry incentives are insufficient. Pharmaceutical companies face potential revenue loss from public procurement and price controls, but gain from strategic projects and manufacturing incentives. Member state health systems would see reduced stockpiling risks and more coordinated procurement, but may bear higher upfront costs for reshoring production. EU institutions gain stronger coordination powers but face implementation challenges balancing speed with member state sovereignty.
Next steps include swift progress on the Biotech Act and full implementation of the Critical Medicines Act.