Delay of EU pharma reform faces criticism from MEPs, stakeholders

The further postponement of the publication of the EU pharma legislation has caused tensions to rise among EU lawmakers and health stakeholders, who have demanded the Commission expedite it to start the legislative process on time.
The revision of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislation will set up a framework for the use of human medicines, from production, to clinical trials, to marketing authorisation.
But the publication of the much-anticipated revised legislation has been postponed for a third time, EURACTIV learned on Wednesday (22 March), with MEPs and NGOs highly critical of the added delay.
In a letter addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French MEP Véronique Trillet-Lenoir (Renew) on Thursday urged the Commission to publish the revision of the legislation ‘no later than April 2023’ to allow the legislative process to start.
“We all know that this legislative package was ready to be published. We all refrained in the past weeks to comment on the leaked version of the proposals,” Trillet-Lenoir wrote in the letter.
“The report of this crucial legislation, without any justification and any alternative date of publication, is unacceptable”, the letter said.
“This legislation is key to ensure the fair and equitable access of medicines to all patients, to all Europeans. It is time to listen to them and give them answers. They deserve to be heard as much as the pharmaceutical industry is,” the French MEP concluded.
Pharma legislation is key to ensure fair and equitable access to medicines for all Europeans.
It is time to listen to them and give them answers.
They deserve to be heard as much as the industry is.