EU reaches provisional deal to address shortage of essential medicines

The European Parliament on Tuesday said it had reached a provisional deal to ⁠strengthen the bloc's supply ⁠of essential medicines by increasing production within Europe and reducing dependency ⁠on non-EU countries.

The measures under the agreed text target critical medicines such as antibiotics, insulin and vaccines, and aim to expand EU manufacturing capacity.

The provisional pact comes at ⁠a critical ⁠juncture for the bloc, which has been scrambling to ensure future access to new drugs as U.S. pricing policies continue to shake the pharmaceuticals sector.

It ⁠needs to be approved by both the European Parliament and the European Council before the new rules can enter into force.

Emer Cooke, ⁠the ‌head ‌of the European ⁠Medicines Agency, ‌last month urged regional authorities in the EU ⁠to work together ⁠more closely to ensure access ⁠to drugs.