The Renew Europe Group welcomed last week’s interinstitutional agreement on the regulation on serious cross-border health threats, for which Véronique Trillet-Lenoir MEP (Renaissance, FR) is the European Parliament rapporteur.

With the agreement on the political component of the legislative package, an important milestone has been set towards a genuine European Health Union. Thanks to this now strengthened regulation, Europe will be able to react swiftly and appropriately to cross-border health threats, whether infectious, environmental, food-borne, biological or chemical.

The final agreement reached with the European Council and European Commission places prevention at the heart of the fight against health threats, evaluating the resources and capacities of EU Member States in a proper way to react quickly to health crises and ensure the continuity of care and prevent the impact of a health threat on other diseases or conditions, including non-communicable diseases and mental health.

Likewise, the text of the agreement also clarifies procedures for joint procurement of medicines and medical devices by increasing transparency, underpinning rules on the content of agreements and introducing the possibility of an exclusivity clause in contracts, thus limiting the establishment of parallel bilateral negotiations on a jointly purchased product at European level.

Trillet-Lenoir, Renew Europe rapporteur on this file, said:

“I am proud of what we have achieved with this agreement. It is important for people to know that the EU is now better prepared to deal with cross-border health crises. This legislation clearly meets the demand of 74% of European citizens who want greater European competence in crisis management. The European Health Union is being built step by step. We will continue our project in the framework of the reflection on a future convention on the revision of the European treaties.”

An important milestone towards a European Health Union!🇪🇺

Renew Europe welcomes the interinstitutional agreement on the regulation of cross-border health threats to be able to react swiftly and appropriately, led by @VTrillet_Lenoir

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— Renew Europe (@RenewEurope) June 24, 2022