16 June, 2026, Brussels - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), along with other organisations advocating for improved access to medical products and health care, called on the European Union (EU) legislators to reject the proposed extension of Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) and to attach access conditions to public funding under the proposed European Biotech Act. In their letter to the EU legislators, the group shared clear amendments to the draft proposal to ensure that the legislation that would strengthen the EUs biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors while promoting innovation that meets public health needs and is accessible for all.
The EU health ministers meet in Luxembourg to discuss the proposal this week to further deliberate on the proposal while Members of the European Parliament’s SANT and ITRE committees are expected to share their report soon commenting on the draft proposal. Recent draft opinions from the AFET and ENVI committees both reject the proposal to extend SPCs.
Piotr Kolczynski, Regional Advisor - Europe for MSF Access
“At a time when health systems across Europe are under growing financial pressures and people are struggling to access timely treatment, extending monopolies to medical tools that further delay affordable generic competition is simply a wrong policy response. EU legislators must ensure that the Biotech Act strengthens Europe's competitiveness in a way that promotes innovation that delivers for its people: innovation that is affordable, accessible and responsive to public health needs. Public investment should generate public benefits, not longer barriers to access.”
