Jean-Claude Juncker, the incoming president of the European Commission, has brushed aside criticisms that his re-organisation of the Commission will compromise European healthcare.

Health technology and pharmaceutical policy is being moved from the Health and Food Safety Commissioner to the new Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.  The European Public Health Alliance has not supported this decision which threatens Europe’s ability to prepare for major health crises such as outbreaks of infectious diseases and health threats arising from climate change, whilst putting the public interest behind the drive for profits in drug authorisation procedures.

The European Public Health Alliance believes that this move undermines the College of Commissioners and will deepen the rift between the institutions and ordinary people. We also deeply regret that the decision had not been subject to public debate, the lack of explanation provided for this policy shift, and that the announcement of portfolios came after the deadline for written questions in the Parliament. The unfortunate timing essentially inhibits the European Parliament’s right of scrutiny.

Health technology and pharmaceutical policy was transferred to the Health Commissioner in 2009 to, among other reasons (3), facilitate emergency preparedness (in response to the emergence of H1N1 and the alleged inability of DG Enterprise to provide the necessary leadership and coordination of vaccines) and to harmonise pharmaceutical governance along the lines of Europe’s Member States, all of whom manage pharmaceutical policy under their Ministries of Health.

“It is disappointing that President-elect Juncker believes these objectives fall a pale second place to appeasing big business,” said Peggy Maguire, President of EPHA. “It sends a terrible message during times when criticism is being levelled at Europe: the College of Commissioners should work for the interest of citizens and not anonymous corporate masters,” continued Ms Maguire.

With the responsibility for pharmaceutical and medical devices policies removed from the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Dr Andriukaitis the nominated Commissioner has effectively been denied the opportunity to achieve what his services are being requested to do. Pharmaceutical policy is an integral part of public health policy making. Medicines form a major part of prevention and treatment measures and are therefore of key importance in safeguarding health. Access to safe, effective and high quality medicines (4), accompanied by independent and unbiased information to patients, is a minimum requirement for sustainable health systems. Previous experience with the Directive on information to the general public on medicinal products subject to medical prescription demonstrated the difficulty of providing information that must be reliable, comparable, objective and user-friendly when the main policy consideration was increasing sales.

“When I was negotiating the transparency laws for clinical trial results, it was DG Enterprise that wanted to water the rules down. Now they will be overseeing the European Medicines Agency as it implements the transparency regime, which is frankly concerning,” said Glenis Willmott, MEP S&D UK.

In an announcement on Wednesday 10 September, the President-elect (1) revealed that health technology and pharmaceutical policy is being moved from the Health and Food Safety Commissioner to the new Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (2). The European Public Health Alliance cannot support this decision which threatens Europe’s ability to prepare for major health crises such as outbreaks of infectious diseases and health threats arising from climate change, whilst putting the public interest behind the drive for profits in drug authorisation procedures.

The European Public Health Alliance believes that this move undermines the College of Commissioners and will deepen the rift between the institutions and ordinary people. We also deeply regret that the decision had not been subject to public debate, the lack of explanation provided for this policy shift, and that the announcement of portfolios came after the deadline for written questions in the Parliament. The unfortunate timing essentially inhibits the European Parliament’s right of scrutiny.

Health technology and pharmaceutical policy was transferred to the Health Commissioner in 2009 to, among other reasons (3), facilitate emergency preparedness (in response to the emergence of H1N1 and the alleged inability of DG Enterprise to provide the necessary leadership and coordination of vaccines) and to harmonise pharmaceutical governance along the lines of Europe’s Member States, all of whom manage pharmaceutical policy under their Ministries of Health.

“This is a potential disaster. President Barroso took the decision to strengthen Europe’s ability to respond to pandemics, and to bring the European Commission in line with national governments. It is disappointing that President-elect Juncker believes these objectives fall a pale second place to appeasing big business,” said Peggy Maguire, President of EPHA. “It sends a terrible message during times when criticism is being levelled at Europe: the College of Commissioners should work for the interest of citizens and not anonymous corporate masters,” continued Ms Maguire.

With the responsibility for pharmaceutical and medical devices policies removed from the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Dr Andriukaitis the nominated Commissioner-designate, has effectively been denied the opportunity to achieve what his services are being requested to do. Pharmaceutical policy is an integral part of public health policy making. Medicines form a major part of prevention and treatment measures and are therefore of key importance in safeguarding health. Access to safe, effective and high quality medicines (4), accompanied by independent and unbiased information to patients, is a minimum requirement for sustainable health systems. Previous experience with the Directive on information to the general public on medicinal products subject to medical prescription demonstrated the difficulty of providing information that must be reliable, comparable, objective and user-friendly when the main policy consideration was increasing sales. (5)

“When I was negotiating the transparency laws for clinical trial results, it was DG Enterprise that wanted to water the rules down. Now they will be overseeing the European Medicines Agency as it implements the transparency regime, which is frankly concerning,” said Glenis Willmott, MEP S&D UK.