Inside EU Health: New EU Drug Strategy; ECDC launches guide for a common response in the face of rise in avian flu; and Pharma Package flexibility could seal the deal
EU rolls out a new drug strategy, ECDC publishes a common-response guide as avian flu surges, and fresh flexibility in the Pharma Package could clinch a deal
New EU Drug Strategy
The European Commission unveiled its new EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan to combat drug trafficking.
The strategy strengthens early warning systems, monitoring, and rapid response, with the reinforced EU Drugs Agency playing a central role. New synthetic substances have been driving spikes in poisonings and overdoses, presenting escalating health risks.
Public-health measures are at the core of the new plan: the EU will expand prevention, treatment, and reintegration programmes, including through the ‘Healthier Together’ initiative, to curb addiction and reduce drug-related harms.
Catherine Feore
ECDC launches guide for a common response in the face of rise in avian flu
Today (4 December), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published a guide and tools to help countries detect and respond to possible animal-related influenza threats, by examining 14 different scenarios.
The guide lays out the required responses and provides a shared reference for countries, helping coordination with European and international agencies. The framework aims to help countries act quickly and proportionately as risks evolve.
“Although the current risk is low, avian influenza is still a serious public health threat due to widespread outbreaks among animals across Europe,” said ECDC Head of Respiratory Viruses, Edoardo Colzani.
Pharma Package flexibility
Ahead of next week’s ‘Jumbo Trilogue’, member states have expressed strong support for concluding the file before the end of December and granting the Presidency considerable flexibility on several key issues to get the job done.
However, delegations emphasized that the European Parliament must show matching flexibility on the most politically sensitive elements for the Council, including meaningful modulation of market protection periods, obligations to ensure the availability of medicines, and limits to the scope of the Bolar exemption.
With compromise on both sides, the Danes may be able to seal the deal.