On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the European Competitiveness Fund ('ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities, repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/522, (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/783, and amending Regulations (EU) 2021/696, (EU) 2023/588, (EU) [EDIP]
SANT-PA-784244
Committee on Public Health · Rapporteur: Radan Kanev
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The Committee on Public Health's draft opinion proposes amendments to the proposed regulation establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), including a specific programme for defence research and innovation. It asks to earmark funding for health promotion, disease prevention, preparedness and health innovation, including support for health-sector SMEs.¶¶¶ The amendments require the ECF to reserve grants mainly for actions without viable revenue streams, such as health protection and prevention, and to prioritise procurement and performance-based contracts for digital health capabilities.¶¶ They strengthen resilience and strategic autonomy in medicines, devices and medical countermeasures, link excellence-based research to deployment and manufacturing in Europe, and treat secure interoperable digital infrastructures and data exchange as core enablers for health systems.¶¶¶ The opinion also adds support for biotechnology, the bioeconomy, pollution prevention measures affecting public health, and faster permitting for health manufacturing.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Public Health proposes a limited number of amendments to the proposed ECF regulation, aiming to sharpen the Fund's health window, earmark funding for health objectives, prioritise non-grant support where possible, and strengthen resilience, digital health and the link from research to manufacturing.¶¶¶
Key points
- The amendments aim to ensure the ECF strengthens Europe's health, biotech and bioeconomy capacity without diluting public-health objectives, while keeping governance safeguards and the excellence-based research pipeline.¶¶
- A dedicated envelope should be earmarked for prevention, preparedness, health innovation and health-sector SMEs, preserving actions inherited from EU4Health, HERA Invest and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.¶¶¶
- The ECF work programme should follow a transparent, evidence-based approach grounded in science-based and structured assessments of competitiveness and strategic importance across health, biotech and bioeconomy value chains.¶
- Financial instruments that crowd in private investors should be the privileged option, reserving grants mainly for actions lacking viable revenue or saving streams, such as health protection and prevention.¶
- The ECF should build an innovative and resilient health ecosystem, tackle communicable and non-communicable diseases, ensure timely, equal and affordable access to pharmaceuticals and innovation, and align closely with Horizon Europe.¶
- Support for scaling up health innovations should improve cost-effectiveness and affordability, reduce the fiscal burden on national health systems and reduce dependencies on third-country suppliers.¶
- A dedicated earmarked financial envelope should be reserved under Chapter V for measures previously supported under EU4Health and for complementary actions on health emergency preparedness, including HERA Invest and the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.¶
- Support for Digital Leadership should build and deploy secure, interoperable digital infrastructures, services and cybersecurity capabilities for digital health and telemedicine, including cross-border connectivity and interoperability of public sector systems.¶
- The ECF should support rapid mobilisation of technical assistance and end-to-end digitalisation of permitting, in synergy with the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act and the European Biotech Act.¶¶
- For health systems resilience and public health protection, the Fund should prioritise procurement and performance-based service contracts, using grants only where repayable support is unsuitable.¶
- Support to biotechnology should contribute to scalable production, uptake, availability and accessibility of medicinal products, medical devices, diagnostics and other medical countermeasures, including industrial biotechnology linked to the bioeconomy.¶
- The amendments add support for Union legislation and targets on climate, environment and public health, and for pollution prevention measures reducing harmful emissions and exposures affecting public health.¶¶
Who is affected
- Health-sector small and medium-sized enterprises, which would receive earmarked support under the Fund.¶¶
- National health systems and budgets, which should benefit from more affordable health solutions and reduced fiscal burden.¶
- The pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology sectors, which would receive support for production, manufacturing and deployment.¶¶¶
- Member states, including smaller and less developed economies, which should gain timely and equitable access to affordable health solutions.¶
Figures and deadlines
- Technology Readiness Level 6 or above, the threshold for biotechnology innovations from Horizon Europe-funded research.¶
Legal basis: Articles 168, 191 and 114(3) TFEU and Article 3 TEU.¶