European Health Care News – October 2025

The European Commission presented a new regulation that enhances the European Union (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism by integrating the financing for health emergency preparedness and response. The aim is to enable more effective and efficient responses to risks and threats, thanks to improved synergies and coordination across sectors, as well as between the EU and Member States (EN).

The fifth edition of the European Commission’s Strategic Foresight Report introduces the notion of resilience 2.0, defined as a transformative, proactive and forward-looking approach. One of the eight areas of action is support for ‘sustainable and inclusive well-being’. This includes addressing health inequalities and promoting the supply of medicines, access to quality health care, prevention and health promotion (EN/FR/NL). The Commission also suggests embedding its dashboard of well-being indicators in policy evaluation, investment and reform decision-making (EN).

The European Commission published the results of a project funded by the EU4Health programme, which has developed innovative tools to assess access to health care across Member States. The report shows the impact of health care on reducing inequality and poverty and provides a toolkit to evaluate the impact of various health care reform scenarios on household budgets (EN).

The Medical Countermeasures Strategy is part of the Preparedness Union Strategy. It aims to support the EU response to future health emergencies by accelerating the development, production, deployment, and accessibility of lifesaving medical tools (EN).

The EU Stockpiling Strategy is another deliverable of the Preparedness Union Strategy. It aims to secure essential goods, including medicines, in the event of a crisis by promoting an EU comprehensive approach to stockpiling (EN/FR/NL).

In July, the European Parliament adopted a resolution highlighting the importance of the biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors, which deliver cutting-edge solutions also in health care and life sciences. In view of the future EU Biotech Act, the European Commission was urged to streamline and harmonise existing and upcoming initiatives in this field, to simplify authorisation procedures, and ensure biosecurity (EN, EN/FR/NL).

The European Court of Auditors assessed the effectiveness of EU measures to ensure medicine availability. It concluded that measures to tackle the underlying causes of shortages are still in the early stages and that shortcomings in the single market continue to hinder the availability of medicines across the EU. It made recommendations to improve the system for dealing with critical shortages, address their root causes, and enhance the functioning of the single market (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has launched a public consultation and a call for evidence to collect input to define the Anti-Poverty Strategy. Expected for the first quarter of 2026, this strategy will take a multi-dimensional view of poverty and address it from a life cycle perspective, building on a social investment approach. Both processes are open until 24 October 2025 (EN/FR/NL).

A research report from Eurofound analyses trends and disparities across the EU in the accessibility of services that are key to tackling child poverty and promoting well-being of children. It also describes the current staff working conditions and training opportunities in these key areas. The report shows a decline in children’s mental health and a rise in unmet needs for health care, and these trends reflect the precarious working conditions that health professionals often experience. Policy recommendations are made for initiatives at EU and national levels (EN).

A policy brief from Eurofound examines the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). It shows that despite progress in some areas, challenges remain, and there have been downward trends, particularly in the inclusion of vulnerable groups. Regarding Principle 16 on the right to access health care, the average level of self-reported unmet needs for medical care has increased across Member States. Vulnerable groups are also experiencing widening disparities with the population as a whole. Policy recommendations are made for the next EPSR Action Plan (EN).

In July, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an own-initiative opinion which warned that the cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating health inequalities by disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable groups. The opinion urges improved financial health coverage for people on a low income and increased investment in health care, as well as the effective implementation of Principles 16 and 18 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which guarantee everyone’s right to timely access to affordable, quality health care and long-term care (EN/FR/NL).

The new Multiannual Financial Framework proposed by the European Commission involves national and regional plans that are tailored to local needs. Fourteen percent of the national allocations will go to finance reforms and investments that enhance skills, fight poverty, promote social inclusion and development in rural areas. An EU Facility will support Member States in responding to crises and coordinating EU-level action in various policy areas, including health (EN/FR/NL). The new Competitiveness Fund will provide funding for strategic priorities along four main policy lines, one of which is health, biotechnology, agriculture and bioeconomy (EN/FR/NL). An updated performance framework establishes horizontal principles and simplified monitoring rules, as well as areas for intervention and their performance indicators (EN/FR/NL). 

As part of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Commission has proposed a regulation establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034. This will be closely connected to the European Competitiveness Fund and will be based on four pillars: excellent science; competitiveness and society; innovation; and the European Research Area. The research funding will contribute to EU priorities in areas such as health (EN).

The long-awaited EU4Health work programme was finally published by the European Commission last July. This year’s programme reflects the budget cut of 1 billion euros agreed from 2025 onwards. Funding for prevention-related activities was significantly reduced and operating grants for civil society organisations were fully removed (EN). As 25 health and patient advocacy organisations have complained, this decision threatens the work of many of them (EN).

In July, the European Commission published the results of a Eurobarometer survey on citizens’ awareness and perception of EU regional policy. This showed some knowledge of EU-funded initiatives and a general positive appreciation of the impact they had on their respective countries and regions. In terms of future EU investment, 49% of the respondents prioritised the improvement of health care and education infrastructure (EN).

The European Commission has approved a second Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in the health sector, designed to promote innovation in medical devices. Notified by France, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia, it is called ‘IPCEI Tech4Cure’. Ten projects from ten companies will focus on creating innovative medical devices using advanced and novel digital and AI solutions, with the aim of further developing predictive, preventive and personalised medicine (EN/FR).

Alchem produces a key pharmaceutical ingredient used in the production of Buscopan, an abdominal antispasmodic medicine, and its generic versions. The European Commission found that it breached EU antitrust rules from 2005 to 2018. Alchem coordinated and agreed to fix the minimum sales prices for distributors and manufacturers of generic medicines and to allocate sales quotas among them, and exchanged commercially sensitive information (EN/FR). This follows the Commission’s decision of October 2023 to fine six other companies involved in the same cartel (see quarterly bulletin 68).

The European Commission has approved the acquisition of the Japanese company Topcon by the global investment firm KKR, based in the United States. Topcon develops, manufactures and supplies equipment and software in two main business divisions, one of which is eye care for health care customers (EN).

The European Commission has approved the acquisition of the Spanish company Global Mensa by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTTP), based in Canada. Global Mensa is the holding entity of the Donte Group, a dental platform that operates 426 dental clinics in Spain, and one in the UK (EN).

The European Commission has approved the acquisition of DCC Healthcare, based in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by Investindustrial Group, from Luxembourg. The transaction concerns two main business activities, including the supply of medical and other health care products (EN).

Case C-489/23 concerns a Romanian patient who was denied reimbursement for hospital care received in Germany because the medical assessment and request for hospitalisation were not issued by a doctor in Romania’s public health insurance system. The Court of Justice ruled that this type of legislation is contrary to Directive 2011/24/EU on patients’ rights in cross-border health care. However, according to Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, the national legislation can limit reimbursement to the amount provided by the national health insurance scheme if the insured person was refused prior authorisation to receive a certain cross-border health treatment for a justified reason, except in cases of urgent treatment (EN/FR/NL).

In case C-115/24, the Court of Justice clarified the application of Directive 2011/24/EU on patients’ rights in cross-border health care, of Directive 2000/31/EC on electronic commerce in the internal market, and of Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications, in the context of telemedicine provided to a patient by a health care provider established in another Member State. The case concerns an Austrian dentist working which German firms which had no Austrian authorisation (EN/FR/NL).

In case C-715/23, the Court of Justice considered Directive 2014/20/EU on the award of concession contracts in relation to the authorisation granted to a pharmacy to operate in Slovenia. According to the Court, the provision of pharmacy services – consisting in the supply, for remuneration, of prescription and non-prescription medicines for human use, and the provision of advice on their use – does not fall within the concept of ‘non-economic services of general interest’, but rather within the concept of ‘social and other specific services’. This means they are subject to simplified public procurement procedures (EN/FR/NL).

Case C-203/24 examines the criteria for establishing whether an individual employed in two or more EU Member States performs a substantial part of their work in their country of residence. According to the Court of Justice, the competent institution should assess whether at least 25% of their working time or remuneration is incurred in that State, without considering any other circumstances or criteria. The relevant reference period is the 12 months following the start of employment in two or more Member States; only the expected future situation should be considered, not the past (EN/FR/NL).

In case C-10/24, the Advocate General sets out how Regulation (EU) 2017/745 should be interpreted regarding the general obligations on distributors of medical devices. The focus is on two aspects: 1) the obligations on distributors to verify the conformity of the devices they make available on the market; 2) the factors that should be considered to determine whether a distributor has reason to believe that a device is not in conformity with that regulation (EN/FR/NL).

In cases T-393/23, T-351/23, T-278/23, T-258/23, T-256/23, the General Court annulled Implementing Decision C(2023) 3067 (final), issued on 2 May 2023, by which the European Commission amended the marketing authorisation granted for ‘Tecfidera – Dimethyl fumarate’, a medicinal product for human use. The annulment was requested by the generic medicine manufacturers Teva GmbH (EN/FR), Kern Pharma, SL (EN/FR), Zentiva k.s. and Zentiva Pharma GmbH (EN/FR), Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A (EN/FR), and Mylan Ireland Ltd (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission referred Czechia to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to correctly transpose the Proportionality Test Directive. This requires Member States to assess if new or amended rules restricting access to regulated professions (including health professions) are justified, necessary and balanced. Despite recent measures to improve the transposition of the Directive into Czech law, Czechia has still failed to ensure that measures taken by professional bodies undergo a proportionality assessment (EN/FR).

The European Commission sent reasoned opinions to Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden for failing to notify national measures transposing the Directive on the resilience of critical entities. The Directive requires the identification and designation of European critical infrastructure, as well as an assessment of the need to improve their protection and resilience. The aim is to ensure the provision of vital services in key sectors, such as health (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Cyprus and reasoned opinions to Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Spain, for failing to fully transpose the Directive on rates of value-added tax (VAT). The Directive allows Member States to make wide use of reduced rates, including zero rates for essential products such as pharmaceuticals and products intended for medical use (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission has launched its strategy to place Europe at the forefront of life science innovation. The life sciences explore living systems, from cells to ecosystems, and cover economic activities such as health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. The strategy will support multi-country clinical trials and encourage innovation in areas such as next-generation vaccines and affordable cancer solutions (EN/FR/NL). Conclusions adopted by the Council of the EU called for swift implementation of the proposed actions and adoption of a holistic approach to research and innovation in life sciences (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission presented a strategy to ensure that scientists, researchers, innovators and industry have easy access to Europe’s cutting-edge facilities, high-quality data and tailored services. Several actions are proposed to boost research and technology infrastructure and attract talent to various sectors, including health (EN/FR/NL).

The European Commission published a strategy aiming to secure EU leadership in quantum technology by supporting the growth of startups, as well as the transformation of breakthrough science into market-ready applications. Quantum technologies are also used in the medical sector, for example for the transmission of medical data or for medical diagnostics (EN).

The Council of the EU approved conclusions that provide guidance for the establishment of a strong and dynamic research and innovation system, and called for a supportive regulatory and financial environment to boost startups and scaleups (EN/FR/NL). The conclusions follow the Communication published by the European Commission in May on the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. This announced the creation of a Scaleup Europe Fund aiming to mobilise funds and investments in strategic sectors, such as medical technology (EN/FR/NL).

In an article published in the Journal of Law, Medicines & Ethics, Mary Guy from Liverpool John Moores University analyses the judgment issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union in April 2023 in the case Casa Regina Apostolorum regarding state support to hospitals, in light of the European Commission’s policy regarding services of general economic interest (SGEIs) and hospitals. It shows the tensions between State and market, and between the EU and national levels. It offers insights into the potential legacy of the judgment and indicates where the main future legal challenges may lie(EN).

This year’s edition of the book ‘Social policy in the European Union’, published by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Social Observatory (OSE), includes a chapter by OSE’s senior researcher Jessica Martini on the European Health Union. The chapter reviews the initiatives on which this Union was built, analyses the priorities tabled in 2024 during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, and examines the political guidelines that will shape the European Health Union during the new European Commission mandate (EN, FR).

An article published in the journal ‘Health Policy’ and written by Nicole Mauer, from the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and colleagues, assesses the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive across EU Member States. The Directive foresees coverage for and access to a minimum set of health care services for displaced persons and was activated in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The article provides a comparative overview of health care entitlement and financial coverage, access to services and existing barriers in the 27 EU Member States (EN).

A recent report by EuroHealthNet and the Centre for Health Equity Analytics (CHAIN) maps trends in health, mental health and inequalities across fourteen EU countries, as well as Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. The report confirms the extent of health inequalities and the social and economic factors that drive them. It also sets out clear, evidence-based actions that can be taken at EU and national levels to close the existing gaps (EN).

In an article published in the journal ‘Health Policy’, Joseph Donia and Luca Marelli from the University of Milan consider what ethical and social issues may arise from the development and implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). The article identifies a series of issues and makes policy recommendations in seven areas: the limits of individual control over health data; heterogeneity within the EU; changes in medical practice, as well as in research; the involvement of commercial actors; exacerbating inequalities; and the sustainability of the EHDS (EN).

An online article published by the magazine Politico explores how President Trump’s attempt to align drug pricing with the lowest levels among America’s main trading partners threatens to deter the launch of new medicines and force up prices in Europe (EN).