Healthcare workforce

European Parliament backs EU health workforce crisis plan

The European Parliament has backed calls for an EU-wide strategy to tackle worsening shortages of healthcare professionals, including an ambition to increase the health workforce by one million, as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and dentists urged the European Commission to turn the recommendations into concrete action. The own-initiative report,

Online safety

EU Kids Act targets social media’s impact on children’s mental health

The European Commission unveiled its EU Kids Act on Thursday (17 September), proposing sweeping restrictions on children’s access to social media and new obligations on technology companies to address growing concerns over young people’s mental health and online safety. The proposal would prevent children under 13 from accessing

Healthcare workforce

‘Fair Labour Mobility’ package could help EU's healthcare workforce

The EU’s Fair Labour Mobility Package aims to speed up recognition of qualifications, including for non-EU professionals

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Spanish proposal on access; biosimilars; illicit tobacco trade; anaphylaxis; preparedness; radioisotopes; insulin

Spain pushes EU to use its purchasing power on innovative medicines; better deal for biosimilars; auditors on illicit tobacco trade; anaphylaxis preparedness; crisis procurement handbook; EU backs next-generation mRNA nasal sprays; strategy on radioisotopes; EU approves €400m aid for insulin supply

Biotech Act

MEPs seek to boost biosimilars in pharma protection deal

EU Legal Affairs Committee support compromise offering drugmakers longer protection in return for European investment, while clearing the way for faster biosimilar competition

Preparedness

EU publishes crisis procurement handbook drawing on COVID-19 lessons

The EU’s new handbook turns COVID-19 lessons into practical guidance for crisis procurement and preparedness.

Biotech Act

Spain pushes EU to use its purchasing power on innovative medicines

Spain wants the EU to use its collective demand for innovative medicines to strengthen negotiating leverage and attract biotech investment and manufacturing

Anaphylaxis

New European alliance calls for urgent action on anaphylaxis preparedness

A new European alliance wants to close potentially life-threatening gaps in anaphylaxis preparedness across Europe

Tobacco

Auditors call for a more ‘robust’ EU response to illicit tobacco trade

EU auditors warn that fragmented rules are hampering the fight against illicit tobacco

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Organ transplantation; wastewater; cross-border health; childhood cancer; next WHO DG

Organ transplant technology; Advocate General questions the basis of EU wastewater rules; EU solidarity fund to improve access to cross-border healthcare; MEPs pressed to close gaps in childhood cancer treatment; Hans Kluge next WHO DG?

Childhood cancer

MEPs pressed to close gaps in childhood cancer treatment

The European Parliament's Public Health Committee focuses on childhood cancer and the need to give it greater attention

Organ transplantation

MEPs seek safeguards on new organ-processing technologies

MEPs backed the potential of new organ-processing technologies to improve transplantation but called for safeguards to protect patient safety and non-commercial use

Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

Advocate General questions the basis of EU wastewater rules

Generic association calls on the EU to 'stop the clock' on urban wastewater rules following opinion from EU court

Cross-border healthcare

MEPs push for EU solidarity fund to improve access to cross-border healthcare

MEPs want to revive underused cross-border healthcare rights, with funding a key barrier

WHO

Belgium nominates Hans Kluge as WHO Director General

The Belgian federal government has nominated Hans Kluge for the position of Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Spain to propose alternative to SPC; clinical trials transparency; AI

Spain to propose early procurement as an alternative to SPC Extension; European health NGOs push for full publication of clinical trial results; WHO/Europe urges faster development of AI governance

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Medical devices; Irish Presidency; CMA

Schenk pushes for simpler EU medical devices rules; Carroll MacNeill tells MEPs she’s putting competitiveness and access at heart of Irish Presidency; MEPs give Critical Medicines Act final committee green light ahead of November plenary

Irish Presidency

Carroll MacNeill tells MEPs she’s putting competitiveness and access at heart of Irish Presidency

Irish health minister tells MEPs she is focused on competitiveness and better access to medicines and medical devices

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Online child safety; MEPS on US visit; hospital beds data; EU/UK cooperation on illegal drugs

EU weighs age-13 limit for 'social media plus'; US CDC officials 'ashamed' of US retreat from global health, MEP says; number of hospital beds per 100,000 people continues to decline; UK and EU drugs agency sign pact to cooperate on illicit drugs

Online safety

EU weighs age-13 limit for 'social media plus'

An expert panel has urged the EU to make technology companies prove their platforms are safe before allowing under-13s access to "social media plus" services

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Preparedness; Sanofi peace offering; two JCAs; infringements

Preparedness under long-term budget; Sanofi offers concessions; two joint clinical assessments for lung cancer treatments; Romania late payments to pharmacies; nurses' recognition; six EU nations face pressure after missing asbestos safety deadline

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Cancer inequalities; fast-track for pancreatic cancer treatment; counterfeit condoms

WHO warns of widening cancer survival gap as cases set to soar to 35 million by 2050; EMA to fast track promising pancreatic cancer treatment; 200,000 counterfeit condoms discovered by EU anti-fraud office

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: Tobacco games Commission consultation; pharma push back on PABS; Danes pilot real-world data to assess cancer drugs

Dutch investigation finds that Philip Morris is gaming tobacco consultation; Pharmaceutical companies caution against tougher obligations in PABS talks; Denmark turns to real-world data to assess cancer drugs

Inside EU Health

Inside EU Health: MFN; €84.8 million health innovation call; medical countermeasures; UK/US deal could cost more lives than COVID

Can the EU resist US pressure on medicine prices? €84.8m launches call to support healthy ageing, reduced animal testing and early-stage innovation; EU seeks partners to shape new medical countermeasures preparedness network; UK deal with US could cost more lives than COVID

Most Favored Nation

Can the EU resist US pressure on medicine prices?

At European consumer group BEUC event, speakers say the EU must stand firm against US demands for higher drug prices