Inside EU Health: Europe invests in 10-year preparedness research plan; Biotech Act I rapporteurs; EU and Canada health agencies joint plan; HTA report
Europe invests €240 million ten-year pandemic preparedness research; Biotech Act I rapporteurs confirmed; EU and Canada health agencies deepen ties; HTA annual report on first year of implementation
Europe invests €240 million ten-year pandemic preparedness research base
Europe is reinforcing its defences against future health crises with a major research investment. In Paris on 17 February, the ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases agency and the European Commission launched BE READY, a partnership aimed at improving Europe’s ability to anticipate, prevent and rapidly respond to epidemics and pandemics.
The initiative will run for ten years with €240 million in funding - €120 million from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and the remainder from participating countries - and builds on preparatory work carried out between 2022 and 2025. ANRS will coordinate the project.
Officials say the programme will reshape how Europe organises epidemic research by aligning national priorities and enabling multinational teams to collaborate through joint calls. The funding will support work on emerging pathogens and accelerate development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva said the effort places citizens’ health at the centre while strengthening scientific leadership.
Catherine Feore
Biotech Act I rapporteurs confirmed
The S&D group’s co-ordinator and former Health Commissioner and surgeon, Vytenis Andriukaitis MEP (S&D, Lithuania) and Wouter Beke MEP (EPP, Belgium) have been appointed as the joint rapporteurs on the Biotech Act I. The MEPs from the Public Health (SANT) and the Industry, Transport and Research (ITRE) committees, respectively, will take a joint lead on the Act. While Beke is a seasoned politician, he is also the co-founder of Zembro, which supports the elderly in maintaining a “healthy, independent lifestyle”.
Welcoming the Commission proposal in December, Director General Claire Skentelbery of EuropaBio said the Biotech Act provided “a strong baseline for a more competitive EU amidst global geopolitical changes that require urgent and ambitious action”, but added there were “a few notable absences”.
Catherine Feore
EU and Canada health agencies deepen ties on global health and preparedness co-operation
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) hosted the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) President, Nancy Hamzawi, to adopt a joint action plan on preparedness, surveillance, and outbreak missions.
ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said, “This is the first time that ECDC and PHAC have agreed on a joint operational plan with concrete public health actions… an important milestone to strengthen global health security.”
Canadian officials discussed training, risk assessment and epidemic intelligence with ECDC experts. The plan builds on two decades of cooperation and a previous memorandum of understanding (2007).
HTA annual report on first year of implementation
The Health Technology Assessment Co-ordination Group (HTACG) 2025 gives an overview of the first year of application of the EU HTA Regulation. The regulation takes a staggered approach and in 2025 introduced joint clinical assessments (JCAs) for cancer and advanced treatment medicinal products (ATMPs). So far, 13 JCAs have started, with ten in new oncology products and three in ATMPs, six products address a rare disease.
The assessments carried out by an assessor and co-assessor from two different countries assess the effectiveness and safety of a new technology, this information is used by each member state to make its own decisions on pricing and reimbursement.