EU Pharma Reform Should Focus on What Consumers Actually Need: Access, Reliability, and Innovation
Brussels, 29 May 2026 – The Consumer Choice Center welcomes the continued progress of the EU Pharma Package and encourages lawmakers to keep patients and consumers at the center of the final negotiations.
As the legislation moves closer to a possible European Parliament plenary vote in the middle of June, the debate should remain focused on practical outcomes: getting medicines to patients faster, reducing shortages, and ensuring Europe remains a place where medical innovation can thrive.
Several parts of the package seem to move in the right direction. Maintaining the baseline data protection period at 8 years and setting market protection at 1 year (subject to renewal) is a strong incentive for manufacturers to continue investing in innovative medical products. Slashing the scientific assessment timeline for centralized market authorization from 210 to 180 (and down to 150 for public health priorities) will help speed up the approval process.
Stronger supply and shortage prevention measures could also help improve reliability across Member States. At the same time, regulatory sandboxes could provide innovative therapies with a clearer pathway through the system rather than forcing them into outdated regulatory models.
Zoltán Kész, Government Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center, reacted:
“Patients across Europe are tired of hearing promises while having to face delays and recurring shortages.
A modern pharmaceutical framework should make it easier for innovative treatments to reach consumers quickly and consistently, regardless of their residence within the EU. ”
The Consumer Choice Center argues that the reform’s real value will at last depend on whether consumers experience noticeable improvements in access and availability. A more responsive regulatory system, combined with clearer incentives for innovation, would help ensure European patients are not left behind as new treatments emerge globally.
The Consumer Choice Center will continue to support reforms that strengthen consumer choice, encourage pharmaceutical innovation, and improve healthcare outcomes across Europe.