European Elections 2024

Pharma Deutschland 10-point-plan

The European Union is facing numerous external and internal challenges. The importance of the European Union for the pharmaceutical industry has once again increased significantly over the past five years since the last European elections. Even today, many important issues for the pharmaceutical industry are no longer decided at national level, but in Brussels and Strasbourg. The aim of European policy must be to strengthen Europe as a pharmaceutical location in order to ensure quality-assured and comprehensive care for patients in the long term.

Political demands on the future members of the European Parliament:

1. Defending democracy and the rule of law: We strongly advocate a European Union that stands up for democracy, the rule of law and justice both internally and externally. Adherence to democratic principles, an open society and the strength of a united Europe are a basic prerequisite for functioning healthcare systems and fair healthcare provision. The strengthening of a free and social market economy reinforces the rule of law and is the central basis for the economic success of the German and European pharmaceutical sector.
    
2. Optimization of the EU legal framework for medicinal products: In order to create a single market for medicinal products that increases access to medicinal products for all citizens, the innovative strength and competitive position of the European pharmaceutical industry must be strengthened. The revision of European pharmaceutical law currently under discussion offers an opportunity to achieve this. We need strong and comprehensive protection of intellectual property. Only with an appropriate period of document protection will we be able to continue to invest in research and development. Furthermore, the new EU Parliament should reconsider its current position regarding new planned bureaucratic hurdles for companies in the upcoming trilogue. These include, for example, planned tightening of environmental risk assessments and new obligations in connection with supply bottlenecks. The cumulative effects of many new bureaucratic requirements and costs have negative consequences for the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry and for Europe as a business location. The regulations are cumulative to all the cost-cutting efforts of national healthcare systems and can lead to the discontinuation of vital medicines.
    
3. Combating pharmaceutical bottlenecks and strengthening supply chains: In order to ensure the supply of pharmaceuticals in the Member States, public procurement law must be adapted, suitable framework conditions for the expansion of production in Europe must be created and sufficient reimbursement conditions in the Member States must be made possible. Free enterprise and a social market economy remain desirable goals of entrepreneurial activity. All measures must not be a substitute for necessary reforms of the pricing and reimbursement system in the Member States and must be better coordinated with the EU Member States.
    
4. Promoting digital innovation in the healthcare sector: Implement legislation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS). The EHDS is an important step towards strengthening healthcare in Europe. The upcoming implementation must take place in the sense of an innovation-open use of health data, taking into account IP rights and harmonization with national requirements. Harmonization with national requirements will be an indicator of the actual usability of the EHDS.
    
5. Adaptation of existing EU legislation to ensure the security of supply of medicinal products: In the last legislative period, legislative measures were adopted at EU level, such as the revision of the Urban Waste Water Directive, which run counter to the security of supply of medicinal products for human use. This counteracts the objectives of other EU legislation. For a strong, sustainable and internationally competitive pharmaceutical industry, ongoing or already completed legislative procedures at EU level should be reviewed with regard to the security of supply of medicinal products and adapted accordingly. Pharma Deutschland therefore calls on the new Parliament to request a new impact assessment with a concrete examination of the possible consequences of the legislation for the security of supply.
    
6. Reducing bureaucracy now (!) and adapting EU industrial policy: The pharmaceutical sector in Germany and Europe is excessively burdened by regulations, documentation obligations and requirements, which inhibits innovation and particularly affects SMEs. The reduction of cost-intensive bureaucracy and the adaptation of EU industrial policy should be the focus of the new legislative period. The Parliament must ensure that legislative procedures are subject to constant bureaucracy reduction checks. At the same time, Pharma Deutschland calls on the EU legislator to address strategic challenges such as climate neutrality and competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry by promoting green technologies, incentivizing R&D collaborations and intensifying strategic trade partnerships. More trust in entrepreneurs and market forces is needed to renew the Lisbon Strategy's goal of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. The "Industrial Deal" offers the right framework for this.
    
7. Promoting health literacy and prevention: Social systems in Europe are under increasing pressure. When it comes to minor health complaints and prevention, there should be a stronger appeal to people to take responsibility for their own health and the requirements for more self-medication, such as switches, should be met.
    
8. Sustainability and the environment: introduce dialog formats with the pharmaceutical sector. For example, the reduction of pharmaceuticals entering the environment and bodies of water is an important concern of Pharma Deutschland and its members. Pharma Deutschland is open to demands for greater sustainability and environmental and climate protection. In dialogue with the pharmaceutical industry, sensible solutions can be discussed in order to reduce the environmental impact of the pharmaceutical sector in the EU as much as possible without jeopardizing its competitiveness on the global markets.
    
9. Drive forward improvements to the EU Medical Devices Regulation: The new EU Parliament should take up the challenge of making the system more efficient and transparent, removing further bureaucratic hurdles and making the system fit for the future. This is the only way for medical devices to survive in global competition:
    
10. Efficient EU HTA processes: The harmonization of clinical evaluation processes is to be welcomed in principle. The involvement of pharmaceutical manufacturers in defining the scope of the assessment is essential. Efforts should be made to harmonize the requirements from the member states in order to limit the additional workload for companies.

See press release in German language "Europawahl 2024: BAH fordert starke Maßnahmen für Europas Pharmaindustrie!".