The European Commission launched two initiatives under its Preparedness Union agenda: an EU Stockpiling Strategy and a Medical Countermeasures Strategy. Both are designed to improve access to essential goods for European citizens and societies, businesses and economies – ensuring continuity of essential goods and lifesaving medical supplies at all times, in particular during crises such as major energy blackouts, natural disasters, conflicts or pandemics.
EU Stockpiling Strategy: safeguarding essential supplies ahead of crises
The EU Stockpiling Strategy is designed to secure essential goods — such as food, water, oil, fuel and medicines – in the event of a crisis. It is the first ever EU comprehensive approach to stockpiling.
Key actions in the Stockpiling Strategy include:
- Establishing an EU Stockpiling Network with Member States to share best practices, coordinate stocks, and develop joint recommendations.
- Identifying stock gaps and duplications through information sharing and strengthening cooperation among Member States and with the EU.
- Expanding EU-level stockpiles to fill gaps in essential goods, supported by initiatives like rescEU for medical gear, shelter, generators, and more.
- Enhancing transport and logistics for rapid crisis response.
- Promoting civil-military, public-private, and international partnerships to maximise resource use efficiently and on time.
Medical Countermeasures Strategy: fortifying health crisis preparedness
With rising disease outbreaks and growing antimicrobial resistance, exacerbated by climate change, deteriorating biodiversity and ecosystems, and geopolitical challenges, the EU’s Medical Countermeasures Strategy seeks to accelerate the development, production, deployment, and accessibility of lifesaving medical tools.
Key actions of the strategy include:
- Advancing next-generation flu vaccines, new antibiotics for antimicrobial resistance, antivirals for vector-borne diseases, and improving access to CBRN countermeasures.
- Boosting intelligence and surveillance by developing an EU list of priority medical countermeasures, preparedness roadmaps, and EU/global wastewater sentinel systems.
- Accelerating innovation via the Medical Countermeasures Accelerator, R&D hubs, and expanding the HERA Invest programme.
- Securing scalable production through EU FAB’s ever-warm capacity and the new RAMP UP partnership.
- Improving medicine access and deployment through joint procurement and support for ready-to-use labs.
- Strengthening global cooperation and cross-sector collaboration, including civil-military preparedness, public-private efforts, citizen readiness, and workforce investment.
Together, these strategies mark a key step toward a more proactive European response in the face of future crises.
For more information
Communication on Medical Countermeasures Strategy
Communication on Stockpiling Strategy
Question and answers on Medical Countermeasures Strategy
Question and answers on Stockpiling
Factsheet on Medical Countermeasures
Source: European Commission | Press corner (https://tinyurl.com/4n2nxptd)