Medicines and Treatment

The EU is strongly committed to ensuring a high level of protection, competitiveness and innovation in the field of public health. In the context of medicines and treatment, key objectives are to:

• guarantee access to affordable medicines
• ensure that medicines are safe and effective
• improve the quality and dissemination of information, so citizens can make informed choices .

The Pharmaceutical Forum is a platform for high-level political discussion with expert working groups. It develops recommendations and exchanges best practice with a view to:

• improving cooperation between the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare stakeholders and EU countries
• strengthening the contributions to social and public health objectives
• improving the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry.

Other EU activities include:

• promoting research and the development of innovative therapies
• ensuring the free movement of medicines on the EU market
• identifying critical scientific gaps and assemble a research agenda
• authorising and monitoring medicinal products available on the market
• working with the European Medicines Agency, which advises EU countries on the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products
• working to improve access to essential medicines in developing countries.