Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken at the EPSCO Council in Luxembourg
On 16 June 2026, Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken participated in the EPSCO Council in Luxembourg. The focus of the meeting with the European Union’s health ministers was on strengthening Europe as a hub for medicinal products, biotechnology and medical devices.
Europe requires a crisis-resistant supply of medicinal products. That is why we need to reduce the dependence of our supply chains as well as systematically strengthen production in Europe. In this regard, the Critical Medicines Act is precisely the right approach, which we as the German government in principle support. At the same time, we need to ensure that regulations and barriers are reduced to a minimum. When implementing environmental policy requirements, we therefore embrace market-compatible and transparent standards while aiming to reduce authorisation procedures for innovative treatments. Our clear goal is for Europe to expand its innovative prowess in the medicinal product, biotechnology and medical device sectors.
Key topics at EPSCO:
- Critical Medicines Act (CMA): Following the provisional agreement between the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, the Council will discuss the final details of the Regulation. The objective is to promote the European manufacture of critical medicinal products (e.g. antibiotics or insulin) more systematically and design supply chains to be less dependent on manufacturers of medicinal products and active agents outside of Europe.
- Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive: During the EPSCO discussions, the Federal Government will advocate a practical and uniform implementation of the Directive across the EU, with transparency regarding the costs to pharmaceutical manufacturers. The objective is to ensure that implementation of this Directive does not undermine the effort to increase the location's attractiveness through the CMA.
- Biotech Act: In order to promote the European biotechnology sector, the Federal Government endorses shorter and harmonised authorisation procedures for clinical studies as part of the planned package of measures. This provides patients with earlier access to innovative treatments and strengthens the location in terms of research.
- Revision of the Medical Device Regulations: Once the European Commission has submitted its draft, the Member States in attendance at EPSCO will discuss how to structure this reform. The Federal Government supports reducing the burden when recertifying medical devices, an efficient authorisation procedure and faster access to medication for rare diseases. The patients’ high level of protection will not be affected.
EPSCO
Alongside the European Parliament, the legislator within the European Union is the Council of the EU. It meets in various configurations, in which initiatives of the European Commission are discussed and passed according to policy field.
The configuration most relevant to the Federal Ministry of Health is the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO). The health ministers of the EU Member States meet twice a year, while additional informal meetings may be convened as needed.