Ambition versus reality: reflections and reactions to the revision of the general pharma legislation

Past event In person

Sustainable Livelihoods

23May2023

starts 19:00

ends 21:30

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Following the publication of the proposed update to the EU’s general pharmaceutical legislation, this dinner debate was an opportunity to step back and consider if and how the overarching aims of the 2020 pharmaceutical strategy and its revision are met by the proposal. What impacts will the proposed update have on patients, the industry and public bodies? Does it offer enough stability for the industry to invest in Europe?

The proposed overhaul of EU pharmaceutical legislation won’t encourage investment in Europe, according to a number of stakeholders who joined the dinner to discuss how to better deliver innovative treatments to EU citizens.

Only 22% of new treatments today come from Europe, compared to 50% from the United States. When it comes to innovation, the EU proposal “completely misses the boat,” said Nathalie Moll, Director-General of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). “We have to improve innovation by creating an environment that makes companies sure [that] if they invest [in Europe] they will find something there in future,” she added.

Susana Solís Pérez, Member of the European Parliament, agreed that the proposed revision “needs to offer security and protection so innovation happens in Europe and not elsewhere.”

Åsa Kumlin, EU Coordinator at the Swedish Medical Products Agency, reminded the audience that the main objective of the review was to ensure that treatments “reach all citizens, at an affordable price.” In order to do this, she said “a predictable playing field” was needed for investment and innovation.

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Nathalie Moll leads the federation that represents the pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. She has spent 20 years working for the biotech industry at the EU and national level in associations and corporate positions. Moll previously worked as Secretary-General of EuropaBio, which was ranked as the most effective European trade association in Brussels in 2013. In this post, she promoted a dynamic and innovative environment for the biotech industry in Europe. Moll was named one of the 15 leading women in biotech in Europe in 2017.

Susana Solís is a Member of the European Parliament representing Spain in the European People’s Party (EPP) Group. Her work focuses on industrial policy, energy, environment and EU-China relations within the Committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Environment (ENVI) and the Internal Market (IMCO). She plays a leading role in fostering constructive dialogue between the EU and China on clean technologies, industrial resilience and fair trade. With over two decades of private-sector experience, she has contributed to key legislative files including the Critical Raw Materials Act, promoting a competitive and innovation-driven green transition.

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