“This warning was made by the Bulgarian MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Kristian Vigenin in the plenary debate in Strasbourg on the proposal for a Regulation laying down a framework to strengthen the availability and security of supply of critical medicines and the availability and accessibility of medicinal products of general interest and amending Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on the

Vigenin stressed that the aim of the legislative initiative – to guarantee the security of supply and the strategic autonomy of the European Union – is right and necessary. However, he warned that good intentions do not always lead to good results if the real differences between member states and the specificities of smaller markets are not taken into account.

In his words, for countries like Bulgaria some of the proposed measures, including the imposition of mandatory criteria in public procurement, pose serious risks. They could limit competition, raise prices and push smaller suppliers out of the market, which for poorer markets means not more security but harder access to medicines.

The MEP paid special attention to the issue of financing strategic and productive projects. “The industrial policy in healthcare should not be implemented at the expense of national healthcare budgets, which are intended to treat patients and cover real healthcare needs. Support for such projects should come from funds at European Union level and not by diverting limited national resources, an approach that would be both legally and morally unacceptable,” he warned.

“If we want real sustainability, it has to be fair – for all countries, but most of all for patients”, Kristian Wigenin said in conclusion of his speech.