“Health is still the biggest challenge in front of us for Europe,” European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi declared at the Euronews Health Summit in Brussels.
He warned that rising non-communicable diseases, healthcare worker shortages, and an aging population are straining Europe’s distinctive healthcare model-a system he called “unique” and vital to societal trust.
“We just cannot take it for granted that it will stay with us tomorrow,” Várhelyi said.
In response, the EU has advanced major reforms, including a December 2025 overhaul of pharmaceutical rules aimed at addressing medicine shortages and supply chain dependencies. The changes seek to modernize regulation to accelerate access to breakthrough therapies for patients with unmet medical needs.
Várhelyi emphasized the sector’s economic weight: pharmaceuticals account for 5% of EU manufacturing value added and nearly 11% of exports.
Complementing this, the new EU Biotech Act and updated medical device regulations prioritize simplification-cutting red tape, reducing delays, and fast-tracking lab innovations to market.
“This is the only way to save the unique European healthcare model,” he said.