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Fostering Europe’s health agenda

09:30 - 10:00
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Shaping healthcare in the EU – Advancing innovation, preparedness and fair access

As trade tensions rise, Europe faces growing challenges in protecting its pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors while ensuring companies remain competitive at home. With tariff hikes on the horizon, what are the implications for Europe’s role in global health, innovation, and supply resilience? This plenary will open a day of discussions on the EU’s health and pharmaceutical strategy, covering research and preparedness, pricing, patient access, and the competitiveness of Europe’s healthcare ecosystem, including the vital role of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics in delivering safe, innovative care.

CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare

Moderated by Brenda Strohmaier.

10:00 - 11:00
PANEL 1: Health security in Europe - strengthening availability and trade-resilient production

Europe’s health systems face mounting pressure from geopolitical tensions, global competition and fragile supply chains. According to industry, new environmental rules such as the proposed EPR scheme under the UWWTD, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and the Circular Economy agenda add costs that affect industrial competitiveness. These demands must be balanced with access to affordable, high-quality medicines. This panel will explore how pricing, reimbursement and procurement can strengthen Europe’s manufacturing resilience, reward supply security and environmental performance, ensure EPR tools avoid shortages without harming innovation, and identify realistic policies to reinforce Europe’s position in global pharmaceutical trade.

Panellists to be announced soon.

This panel is supported by Zentiva.

Moderated by Jennifer Baker.

11:00 - 11:15
FIRESIDE CHAT

Supported by EFPIA.

11:15 - 11:30
COFFEE BREAK

11:30 - 11:45
FIRESIDE CHAT with José Luis Castro, Special Envoy for CRDs, WHO Europe

Supported by Chiesi.

11:45 - 12:45
PANEL 2: Strengthening competitiveness and resilience through sustainable healthcare in Europe

European healthcare systems must remain globally competitive while adapting to financial and resource pressures. Sustainability is increasingly linked to efficiency, innovation, and resilience....not just environmental goals. Concepts such as climate-aligned and net-zero healthcare reflect this shift, alongside the need to better integrate health, industrial, and economic policy.
As the EU advances its binding 2040 target of a 90% net emissions reduction, healthcare systems will need to contribute to credible decarbonisation pathways while preserving competitiveness and resilience.
This panel will explore how EU policy can deliver more resilient, efficient, and future-ready health systems - improving access to essential treatments, strengthening supply security, and supporting innovation - while ensuring patient outcomes remain at the centre.

Panellists to be announced soon.

This panel is supported by Chiesi.

Moderated by Jennifer Baker.

12:45 - 14:00
NETWORKING LUNCH

14:15 - 14:30
FIRESIDE CHAT

Supported by MedTech Europe.

14:30 - 15:15
PANEL 3: The future of public health in the EU – and how to finance it?

Under current plans, the health budget appears to have been absorbed into the Competitiveness Fund. At the same time, the EU is debating new public health initiatives – from cardiovascular health to menopause – and considering how these could be financed, including through so-called “sin taxes” such as a levy on crisps. This session will explore whether the EU should allocate dedicated funding to public health, where such funding should come from, and which priorities it should support.

Panellists:
Emer Cooke, Executive Director, European Medicines Agency (EMA)
Nikos Papandreou MEP, Member, SANT Committee, European Parliament
Birgit Beger, Chief Executive Officer, European Health Network

Moderated by Brenda Strohmaier.

15:15 - 16:00
PANEL 4: Beyond pilot mode: How to turn AI into a safe asset for patients?

AI is only slowly gaining momentum in the healthcare sector, with some observers even arguing that it remains stuck in pilot mode – far from the broad, system level implementation needed to improve diagnostics, efficiency, and patient outcomes. This discussion examines the policy steps required to move AI beyond isolated experiments and toward safe, scalable use in real clinical settings. It explores how to ensure AI tools can be confidently adopted by health professionals, and are supported by robust regulatory, ethical, and infrastructural frameworks.

Panellists to be announced soon.

Moderated by Magdalena Kensy.