Exclusive: EU countries seek use of defence funds for critical medicines

Health ministers from Belgium, Czechia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain have called for a Critical Medicines Act set to be proposed this week to be integrated within broader EU strategic autonomy and security efforts, putting the measure effectively under the umbrella of defence funding.

The proposal, outlined in an op-ed for Euronews, aims to turn the initiative into a full-scale strategic programme backed by EU defence funding.

“The Critical Medicines Act must serve as a robust instrument. Part of its funding should be embedded in broader EU defence spending plans, including financial mechanisms in the new defence package,” the ministers wrote.

“After all, without essential medicines, Europe’s defence capabilities are compromised,” the op-ed reads.

The move seeks to access the €800 billion the European Commission is expected to mobilise over the next four years through the Rearm Europe plan, the main principles of which were agreed by leaders at last week's extraordinary EU summit.

The plan envisages ramped defence and security spending by EU member states, facilitated by activating a national escape clause within the EU's fiscal rulebook - the Stability and Growth Pact - which allows for higher spending under exceptional circumstances.

An additional €150 billion would come from a new EU defence instrument, enabling the Commission to borrow from capital markets, issue bonds, and lend to member states.

The ministers argue that their proposal aligns with the United States’ Defence Production Act, which designates pharmaceutical supply chains as a national security issue.

The US government uses this act to map critical pharmaceutical supply chains, identify vulnerabilities, and