EU Health Council to discuss competitiveness and resilience
Resilience and the report on the future of European competitiveness are on the agenda at the Health Council meeting in Brussels on 3 December 2024. On Finland's initiative, the meeting will also discuss the health sector’s role as part of the preparedness union strategy. Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
Finland emphasises that a globally strong and well-functioning European Union promotes the security, wellbeing and economic interests of its Member States. According to Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, a key to supporting the EU’s competitiveness is ensuring an operating environment that supports the development of the health sector.
“An environment that encourages research, development and innovation is crucial for the EU’s competitiveness. Information, new technologies and enabling legislation play an important role in this,” Grahn-Laasonen says.
According to Minister Grahn-Laasonen, another key factor in ensuring the EU's competitiveness is critical evaluation of global dependencies.
“The meeting will also discuss the different dimensions of resilience. For example, critical materials needed for the development of medicines and vaccines are often dependent on production chains outside the EU. We must carefully assess the risks of these production chains and strengthen Europe’s own production as well,” Grahn-Laasonen says.
On Finland’s initiative, the Council will discuss the health sector as a key part of the preparedness union strategy. Minister of Social Security Grahn-Laasonen emphasises Finland’s role in work towards a preparedness union.
“Finland has strongly contributed to strengthening comprehensive security in the EU through its preparedness union initiative. Taking health into account is an important part of a more extensive threat analysis for preparedness, and health security should play a key role in the future preparedness union strategy,” Minister Grahn-Laasonen says.
Revision of pharmaceutical legislation is progressing
At the meeting, the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU will present a progress report on how negotiations on the EU Pharma Package have moved forward during the country’s Presidency. The revision of the EU's pharmaceutical legislation aims to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and to harmonise the internal market. The proposals will ensure, among other things, access to affordable medicines and enhance the security of supply of medicinal products. However, the EU Pharma Package is not on the Council agenda and no decisions will be made on it.
The Council will also seek to adopt a recommendation on smoke- and aerosol-free environments and to approve conclusions on cardiovascular health and on organ donation and transplantation.
Inquiries
Kaisa Lähdepuro, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 163 419
Ville Korhonen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, International Affairs, tel. +358 295 163 010
Sakari Rokkanen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Social Security, tel. +358 295 163 109
Email addresses are in the format [email protected]