MedTech Europe issues Press Release on the ‘Future of the European Health Union’ conclusions

On 21 June 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted its conclusions on the Future of the European Health Union, emphasising critical areas such as availability of medical technologies, digitalisation of health, and building more resilient health systems. In a press release issued the same day, MedTech Europe called on Member States to enact policies that support the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the industry to ensure continued and timely access to innovative medical technologies for patients across Europe.

In the press relase, MedTech Europe calls for, among other priorities, the improvement of “the security of supply for and access to medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices for patients and health systems, it is essential that all the structural deficiencies in the MDR and IVDR are identified and tackled. The conclusions have highlighted several such areas, including governance, innovation, costs, resource and expertise requirements, the particular impact for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as orphan and pediatric devices.”

MedTech Europe has also recently published its “Manifesto for 2024 – 2029, Empowering Patients, Inspiring Innovation”, copy available from here.