The Cyprus Presidency is concluding its term having achieved significant progress on the European health agenda, with the provisional agreement on the Critical Medicines Act standing out as its most important achievement, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said following the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (Health), held in Luxembourg.
Speaking at a press conference after the 16 June meeting, Charalambides underlined that the Cyprus Presidency worked with the objective of strengthening Europe’s social and health model at a time marked by rapid technological developments, demographic challenges and geopolitical uncertainty.
The Minister described the provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament on 12 May regarding the Critical Medicines Act as one of the Presidency’s most significant achievements.
At the same time, he noted that the Presidency sought to ensure that health remains among the Union’s core priorities during the next programming period, through discussions on the new MFF and the European Competitiveness Fund, both of which can contribute to strengthening innovation and the resilience of health systems.
European Biotech Act
Referring to the outcomes of the day's meeting, the Minister said that the Council reached a general approach on the Directive of the European Biotech Act.
The agreement, he noted, sends a strong political message that biotechnology is a strategic sector for Europe’s prosperity, resilience and health security. According to the Minister, the Act is expected to help unlock Europe’s innovation potential and create the conditions for new ideas to be translated more rapidly into products and therapies reaching the market, while safeguarding public health and the environment.
The Minister also noted that the first policy debate on the European Biotech Act Regulation took place, stressing that biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry are strategic sectors for the European Union’s competitiveness, resilience and autonomy.
The Minister also placed particular emphasis on the discussion concerning the strengthening of Europe’s pharmaceutical resilience and strategic autonomy.
He said that the Cyprus Presidency consistently promoted the need for a stronger and more resilient Europe in the field of health, capable of protecting patients and healthcare systems from the challenges posed by an uncertain international environment.
He added that the discussion confirmed that access to affordable medicines and resilient supply chains are strategic priorities for the European Union. Ministers also agreed on the need for closer coordination at the European level in order to reduce vulnerabilities and ensure reliable access to medicines across the Union.
The Health Minister described the meeting as an important milestone for the Cyprus Presidency’s health agenda, stressing that the progress achieved in biotechnology, medical devices and pharmaceutical security strengthens Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and capacity to act in the field of health.
As he stated, these achievements reflect the Cyprus Presidency’s vision of “an autonomous Europe, open to the world.”
(Source: CNA)
