Affordable, accessible and safe medicines for all: the Commission presents a Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe

 European Commission, Nov. 25, 2020

The Commission has today adopted a Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe to ensure patients have access to innovative and affordable medicines and to support the competitiveness, innovative capacity and sustainability of the EU's pharmaceutical industry. The Strategy will allow Europe to cover its pharmaceutical needs, including in times of crisis, through robust supply chains. A key component of building a stronger European Health Union, as called for by President von der Leyen in her State of the Union Speech, the Strategy will help to establish a future-proof and crisis-resilient EU pharmaceutical system.

Europe's Pharmaceutical Strategy has four main objectives:

• Ensuring access to affordable medicines for patients, and addressing unmet medical needs (e.g. in the areas of antimicrobial resistance, cancer, rare diseases);
• Supporting competitiveness, innovation and sustainability of the EU's pharmaceutical industry and the development of high quality, safe, effective and greener medicines
• Enhancing crisis preparedness and response mechanisms, and addressing security of supply;
• Ensuring a strong EU voice in the world, by promoting a high level of quality, efficacy and safety standards.

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