Fostering Europe’s health agenda
09:30 – 10:00KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Shaping healthcare in the EU – Advancing innovation, preparedness and fair access
As trade tensions rise, Europe faces growing challenges in protecting its pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors while ensuring companies remain competitive at home. With tariff hikes on the horizon, what are the implications for Europe’s role in global health, innovation, and supply resilience? This plenary will open a day of discussions on the EU’s health and pharmaceutical strategy, covering research and preparedness, pricing, patient access, and the competitiveness of Europe’s healthcare ecosystem, including the vital role of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics in delivering safe, innovative care.
CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKEROlivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare
Moderated by Brenda Strohmaier.
10:00 – 11:00PANEL 1: Health security in Europe – strengthening availability and trade-resilient production
Europe’s health systems face mounting pressure from geopolitical tensions, global competition and fragile supply chains. According to industry, new environmental rules such as the proposed EPR scheme under the UWWTD, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and the Circular Economy agenda add costs that affect industrial competitiveness. These demands must be balanced with access to affordable, high-quality medicines. This panel will explore how pricing, reimbursement and procurement can strengthen Europe’s manufacturing resilience, reward supply security and environmental performance, ensure EPR tools avoid shortages without harming innovation, and identify realistic policies to reinforce Europe’s position in global pharmaceutical trade.
Panellists:Olivier Girard, Head of Unit, Security of Supply, Manufacturing & Procurement, DG HERA, European CommissionTilly Metz MEP, Vice Chair, SANT Committee, European ParliamentMatthias Bauer, Director, European Centre for International Political EconomySteffen Saltofte, CEO, Zentiva, and President, Medicines for Europe, Zentiva and Medicines for Europe
This panel is supported by Zentiva.
Moderated by Jennifer Baker.
11:00 – 11:15FIRESIDE CHAT with Nathalie Moll, Director General, EFPIA
Supported by EFPIA.
Moderated by Naomi Lloyd.
11:15 – 11:30COFFEE BREAK
11:30 – 11:45FIRESIDE CHAT with José Luis Castro, Director-General’s Special Envoy for CRDs, WHO
Supported by Chiesi.
Moderated by Naomi Lloyd.
11:45 – 12:45PANEL 2: Strengthening competitiveness and resilience through sustainable healthcare in Europe
European healthcare systems must remain globally competitive while adapting to financial and resource pressures. Sustainability is increasingly linked to efficiency, innovation, and resilience….not just environmental goals. Concepts such as climate-aligned and net-zero healthcare reflect this shift, alongside the need to better integrate health, industrial, and economic policy.As the EU advances its binding 2040 target of a 90% net emissions reduction, healthcare systems will need to contribute to credible decarbonisation pathways while preserving competitiveness and resilience.This panel will explore how EU policy can deliver more resilient, efficient, and future-ready health systems – improving access to essential treatments, strengthening supply security, and supporting innovation – while ensuring patient outcomes remain at the centre.
Panellists:José Luis Castro, Director-General’s Special Envoy for CRDs, WHOMilka Sokolovic, Director General, EPHAMaria Paola Chiesi, Vice President, Chiesi
This panel is supported by Chiesi.
Moderated by Jennifer Baker.
12:45 – 13:00KEYNOTE SPEECH by MEP Tomislav Sokol, Member, SANT Committee, European Parliament
13:00 – 14:15NETWORKING LUNCH
14:15 – 14:30FIRESIDE CHAT with Oliver Bisazza, CEO, MedTech Europe
Supported by MedTech Europe.
Moderated by Naomi Lloyd.
14:30 – 15:15PANEL 3: The future of public health in the EU – and how to finance it?
Under current plans, the health budget appears to have been absorbed into the Competitiveness Fund. At the same time, the EU is debating new public health initiatives – from cardiovascular health to menopause – and considering how these could be financed, including through so-called “sin taxes” such as a levy on crisps. This session will explore whether the EU should allocate dedicated funding to public health, where such funding should come from, and which priorities it should support.
Panellists:Nikos Papandreou MEP, Member, SANT Committee, European ParliamentBirgit Beger, Chief Executive Officer, European Health Network
Moderated by Brenda Strohmaier.
15:15 – 16:00PANEL 4: Beyond pilot mode: How to turn AI into a safe asset for patients?
AI is only slowly gaining momentum in the healthcare sector, with some observers even arguing that it remains stuck in pilot mode – far from the broad, system level implementation needed to improve diagnostics, efficiency, and patient outcomes. This discussion examines the policy steps required to move AI beyond isolated experiments and toward safe, scalable use in real clinical settings. It explores how to ensure AI tools can be confidently adopted by health professionals, and are supported by robust regulatory, ethical, and infrastructural frameworks.
Panellists:Fulvia Raffaelli, Head of Unit, Digital Health, DG SANTE, European CommissionEmer Cooke, Executive Director, European Medicines Agency (EMA)Sarada Das, Secretary General, Standing Committee of European Doctors
Moderated by Magdalena Kensy.
Source:
www.euractiv.com