A New Drive For Competitiveness – EUCOPE Welcomes New European Commissioners

A new college of Commissioners

All signs point towards the need for a more competitive environment for pharmaceutical R&D in Europe. In this context, EUCOPE extends its congratulations to the newly appointed European Commissioners, whose mandates will deliver on large-scale change initiated under the last Commission such as the Revision of the General Pharmaceutical Legislation, and seek to enact more change through new policy initiatives such as the Biotech and Critical Medicines Act.

“We would like to underline the pressing need to deliver on a competitive pharmaceutical ecosystem in the European Union, stated Alexander Natz, Secretary General of EUCOPE. “The Commissioners’ leadership is essential to drive necessary advancements to foster innovation, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and ensure timely access to groundbreaking medical treatments for all Europeans.”

EUCOPE aims to shape a future-ready healthcare ecosystem, advocating the contributions of small and mid-sized pharmaceutical companies to deliver for patients. In doing so we look forward to working with the Commissioners, including Olivér Várhelyi (Health and Animal Welfare), Hadja Lahbib (Preparedness and Crisis Management – Equality), and Ekaterina Zaharieva (Startups, Research, and Innovation).

We commend the European Commission’s ambition to position the EU as a global leader in innovation. A competitive pharmaceutical environment not only drives economic growth and job creation, but also delivers transformative health outcomes for patients.

Challenges ahead

In an open letter signed by 25 EUCOPE members, issued in September, we emphasised the need for sustained investment in healthcare research, innovation-friendly regulatory frameworks, and predictable policies to ensure patient access to cutting-edge therapies, particularly for orphan medicinal products (OMPs) and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).

Among the key necessary priorities for the next Commission, EUCOPE calls for an EU Rare Disease Framework—a coordinated and comprehensive approach to address rare diseases across the Union. Such an initiative would help define a pathway to deliver competitive innovation.

As the voice of small and mid-size innovative pharmaceutical companies, EUCOPE remains dedicated to advancing a healthcare landscape that serves patients, promotes innovation, and reinforces Europe’s position as a global leader in medical innovation.

Download the press release here:

EUCOPE PR – EU Commissioners Final