The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 countries. Since its foundation, it has aimed to promote economic integration, regulatory alignment, and public welfare across member states. Health and pharmaceuticals fall within shared competences, meaning the EU supports national health systems while developing common rules that affect public health and the pharmaceutical industry.
The EU plays an important role in areas such as medicine regulation, health technology assessment, pandemic preparedness, and cross-border healthcare cooperation. It also funds health-related research and supports access to medicines through joint initiatives and regulatory harmonisation.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) coordinates the scientific evaluation of medicines, while other EU bodies contribute to broader policy-making and implementation. Recent developments such as Joint Clinical Assessment aim to align clinical evaluations across countries. EU-wide frameworks for intellectual property and market access further shape how pharmaceutical products reach patients both within Europe and internationally.
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In this section subscribers can consult descriptions of the following European Union activities, with links to key sources of additional information:
- Pharmaceutical legislation - existing
- Pharmaceutical legislation - revision
- EU pharmaceutical regulatory approval processes
- EU intellectual property protection
- EU access remit
- Joint Clinical Assessment