EU plans to integrate health policy after disappointing pandemic response

MEPs have called for a more cohesive European-wide health policy to tackle future pandemics, following its troubled and uncoordinated response to the COVID-19 response.

The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee’s (ENVI) report, which was adopted on Tuesday afternoon with 79 votes to 1 and 0 abstentions, calls for greater EU-level cooperation in health.

As the virus’s epicentre moved through Europe, shortages led some Member States to prioritise their national interests over their neighbours, closing borders and stockpiling essential goods.

In late March, a public donation of PPE from China to Italy made headlines after it was intercepted by the Czech Republic.

The committee’s report urges the Commission prioritise to medicines manufactured in Europe.

Currently 40% of medicines marketed in the EU originate in non-EU countries, while 60 – 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients are produced in China and India.

If the proposal gains support, the EU could have a greater role in the future role in coordinating Member States’ healthcare policies, like stockpiling of supplies and self-sufficiency in the public procurement of medical supplies.

This comes as a survey commissioned by the European Parliament showed public support for EU increasing its competencies in health to deal with pandemics and a majority saying they were disappointed by the response so far from the EU. 

In Italy, 69% were unsatisfied with the EU measures taken to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

A majority of respondents (53%) said they were not satisfied with the solidarity between EU Member States in fighting COVID-19.

Neil Corbett, Head of Press at the European Parliament said; “In the early stages the EU was quite slow to get up and running.

“Member states just didn’t have the stocks they should’ve done for this kind of emergency, so every mask and but of PPE was jealously guarded.

“But once production started, they started sharing their equipment more with their neighbours.”

Public opinion towards the EU’s COVID response has improved 6 percentage points from the beginning of the pandemic.

He continued; “If there’s an EU-wide strategy it’ll remove this jealousy we saw with every Member State bunkered down behind their borders looking after their own rather than they gear up and get prepared for another crisis that may be around the corner.”

“There’s talk of a health initiative that would look at how different national health systems can better work together.

Medical professionals could be transferred to look after in other countries when they are short staffed, and the EU could coordinate more on ongoing vaccine and research development.

He said, “All this will be part of an EU-wide health regime and I wouldn’t be surprised if it came into force in this legislature.”

Sarah Barker, 26, who was living in Rome during the height of the pandemic said; “I can’t really say the EU was relevant during the pandemic.

“It very much felt like every Member State was on its own.

“When I was in Rome, from inside the house it was fairly terrifying. It was so unbelievable, and no-one really knew what was happening.

“The streets it was apocalyptic. In the city centre there were only police, the army and dog walkers.

“It felt suffocating trying to go out because you just felt like you were always being watched.

“I think the EU could do far better.”

Thomas Haahr, who works for the ENVI committee, said creating a EU-wide pharmaceutical regime has been on its agenda even before the COVID-19 crisis.

“We started thinking about this after there’d been other shortage of medicines in the past, but this was accelerated by the crisis.”

“The adopted resolution is about finding a way to increase EU sovereignty over pharmaceutical production so Europe is less dependent on having to import from EU countries.”

“Instead of EU countries building up their own supplies, if we had coordinated at an EU level it would get rid of the competition between Member States.

“Then the European Commission can distribute supplies to where there are shortages.”

However, some have said that the committee’s proposals to prioritise EU goods would harm the EU economically, by closing the EU off to trade in medical goods to foreign markets.

A report by Geopolitical Intelligence Services said if the EU forced healthcare providers to procure medical goods only from EU suppliers, it would effectively close these markets to foreign producers.