Page 45 Draft resolution 017

Title: Strengthening the EU health system Author: Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP) | Germany

1 The Congress of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) 2 Party convening on 11-12 of June 2021:

3 Appreciates:

4 • the EU bodies and national states showing cohesion and taking initiatives 5 to advance further towards a real political union when combating the 6 impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; 7 • the EU reacting properly and enabling fast but safe research and approval 8 processes during the crisis; 9 • the EU being the primary negotiation party carrying out the negotiations 10 with vaccine producers and organising a central procurement for the whole 11 Union.

12 Urges for quick implementation of the following initiatives already taken by 13 the Commission and the European Parliament:

14 • an effective alarm mechanism for health crises such as pandemics, 15 sanitary crises or drug shortages; 16 • a RescEU stockpile of medical equipment; 17 • rapid and safe approval procedures for critical pharmaceuticals; 18 • ensuring the functionality of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), on 19 weekends and even during public holidays; 20 • the provision of recommendations for necessary lockdown, border traffic 21 restrictions and quarantine measures that are differentiated according to 22 the regional impact; 23 • the development of EU standards as a recommendation for the treatment 24 and prevention of situations that can become life-threatening; 25 • the implementation of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, which sets out a 26 new and joint EU approach to cancer prevention, treatment and care.

27 Believes:

28 • in the positive effects of free, open and fair worldwide trade fostering 29 global wealth; 30 • that protectionist reactions would be a wrong signal to the world and 31 WTO, e.g. export restrictions or excessive subsidies for production of 32 pharmaceutical ingredients and medical equipment in the EU; 33 • that as long as the supply of medicines and vaccines cannot be 34 guaranteed by the current monopolistic and unfree world market, measures

Page 46 35 like cuts in bureaucracy, investment protection subsidies for production 36 facilities or subsidies for security of supply may be imposed at EU-level.

37 Calls the EU bodies and its member states to:

38 • build a stockpile of medical goods; 39 • ensure that the upcoming decisions on the EU Health Technology 40 Assessment regulation respect the principle of subsidiarity. Member states 41 should be obliged to consider clinical Health Technology Assessments on 42 EU level, but have to remain entitled to deviate from clinical assessments 43 when deciding on reimbursement by national Social Security systems; 44 • develop a genomic strategy that aims at connecting national data base 45 projects to improve access to knowledge e.g. on rare diseases; 46 • protect intellectual property rights as a prerequisite for innovation, 47 especially with regard to pharmaceuticals for patients with rare diseases. 48 The EU pharma strategy should refrain from weakening patent rights in this 49 field; 50 • cut back bureaucracy and create an entrepreneur and innovation friendly 51 environment to attract the necessary industries, e.g. in the field of 52 genetics; 53 • invest in basic academic research in areas where the market does not 54 sufficiently supply the needs of the population, e.g. vaccination or 55 antibiotics. The knowledge created by academic research can reduce 56 production costs, which makes it more profitable for private corporations to 57 develop a product; Formatted: Font: (Default) +Body (Arial) 58 • address the risk of a digital divide as we are moving towards more eHealth options Formatted: Bulleted + Level: 1 + Aligned at: 0 cm + 59 and therefore calls for putting in place policies and funding that support high digital Indent at: 0.63 cm 60 connectivity especially in rural areas; 61 • stick to high EU standards with regard to the environment, health and 62 safety of the workforce and production process requirements; 63 • develop the necessary legislation to allow the European Commission with 64 subsequent approval of the European Parliament and the Council of the 65 EU to mandate proportional and uniform travel restrictions (e. g. mandatory 66 health checks, quarantine or travel bans) for travel into the EU and 67 Schengen Area in order to stop the spread of infectious diseases with 68 pandemic potential at an early stage like Taiwan did during the Covid-19 69 pandemic; 70 • create a European Medical Corps within existing EU civilian crisis response 71 structures in order to assist member states in case of a health emergency; 72 • revise the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 73 Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) also known as the Washington Convention 74 with a view to regulating the trade with wild animals in order to stop new 75 zoonoses from emerging.