EFPIA takes note of yesterday’s vote in the European Parliament’s SANT Committee on the Critical Medicines Act (CMA). The Act can bring Europe closer to a framework capable of strengthening the supply of medicines for patients — provided it remains targeted and firmly grounded in evidence. 

EFPIA welcomes the SANT Committee’s move towards more consistent, risk-based contingency stock rules. Greater harmonisation across Member States can reduce fragmentation and improve predictability for suppliers, as long as these obligations remain focused on medicines genuinely at risk of shortage. 

At the same time, other elements of the compromise such as; an overly broad definition of “medicinal products of common interest”, the scope and thresholds around the joint/collaborative procurement framework and local-content measures introduced without robust impact assessment risk undermining the CMA’s core logic. In particular, preferential procurement based on manufacturing location risks weakening global supply diversification and undermining Europe’s competitiveness as an export-oriented hub for innovative medicines. Poorly calibrated protectionist measures risk creating new vulnerabilities and exposing Europe to retaliation. Strategic autonomy should focus on addressing genuine gaps, not duplicating capacity where strong manufacturing footprints already exist. 

Nathalie Moll, Director General, EFPIA: 
“Europe needs a CMA that works rather than one that tries to address everything. Our region’s resilience will not be strengthened by layering interventions across the entire pool of medicines, but from targeted, evidence-based measures that reflect how pharmaceutical supply chains actually operate. To deliver secure supply, Europe must focus on real risks, use the right tools and remain a competitive environment for manufacturing and innovation.”