In March 2025, the European Commission proposed the Critical Medicines Act to improve the availability, supply and production of critical medicines within the EU.
The CMA also aims to increase access to other medicines of common interest, such as those for rare diseases, and to address the fact that some medicines are not available in certain markets.
CMA – key features
- Strategic Projects for critical medicines or their ingredients can be designated, so that they benefit from easier access to funding and fast-tracked procedures.
- Public procurement to incentivise the resilience of supply chains of critical medicines or to improve access to other medicines of common interest.
- Collaborative procurement among different member states will be supported by the Commission at the request of member states, to address availability and access disparities of critical medicines and other medicines of common interest.
- International partnerships with likeminded countries/regions will be explored, to broaden the supply chain and reduce dependencies on single suppliers.
- State aid guidelines to assist member states in financially supporting such strategic projects.
The CMA has been proposed in the context of the European Health Union, which seeks to ensure that all EU citizens have access to necessary medicines. It complements regulatory measures already proposed, notably the reform of EU pharmaceutical legislation.
