Nicosia: Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides reaffirmed on Thursday the commitment on behalf of the Cyprus EU Presidency to proceed further with health-related legislative packages, such as the Critical Medicines Act (CMA), the Biotech Act, and the Safe Hearts Plan for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. During a press conference following the Informal EU Health Ministers' Council in Nicosia, Charalambides reassured Oliv©r V¡rhelyi, the European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, that the Cyprus Presidency will respond on the outstanding elements that need to be delivered.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Charalambides notes that the CMA is a top priority for the Presidency and added that a first meeting on the issue already took place in Brussels, with the second coming up on the 16th of March. 'It's our goal, our aim to conclude with this file within the six-month presidency of Cyprus,' he said.
As far as the EU Safe Hearts Plan, he noted that cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death within the European Union and that Cyprus is not excluded by that. 'We have already had a scientific conference in Cyprus. Another one is organized in Brussels,' he noted.
At the same time, the Minister stated that the meeting enabled a substantive and forward-looking exchange of views structured around three strategic pillars of the European Health Union: an initiative for the establishment of a European Center of Clinical Excellence for pharmaceuticals, the strengthening of youth-focused and inclusive-centered mental health agenda, and the effective implementation of the European Health Data Space.
Regarding the Center of Clinical Excellence, the Minister said that 'the member states acknowledged the need for stronger scientific coordination at the EU level, particularly in the context of rapid therapeutic innovation, increasingly complex clinical evidence, and mounting pressure on health systems.' He said as a response to a question that member states also expressed concerns over finances and other authorities in similar areas.
'We'll take all these concerns into consideration,' he said, expressing the intention to go through the conclusions and move the discussion of this issue to the next level.
He noted that the European Center of Clinical Excellence for pharmaceuticals is envisaged as a non-binding, complementary mechanism that will support existing, additional, and European structures.
He added that the Center could facilitate consistent uptake of joint clinical assessments, improve interpretation of emerging evidence, and promote structured scientific dialogue among member states.
'Several delegations underlined that the Centre's effectiveness would depend on a clear governance model, independence, and precise delineation of responsibilities, to avoid overlap with the ones of the national bodies, the European Medicines Agency and the heads of medicines agencies,' the Minister continued.
He concluded that Ministers welcomed the proposal, recognizing its potential to deliver clear European added value by enhancing transparency, strengthening methodological quality and consistency in clinical evaluations, and reducing duplication among national authorities, while they invited further technical consultations to clarify the Centre's mandate and structure.
Regarding mental health and inclusiveness, Charalambides said that the Cyprus Presidency prioritized embedding inclusiveness systematically within the national mental health strategies and strengthening EU-level cooperation to address persistent inequalities and evolving societal needs. In this framework, he also congratulated Commissioner V¡rhelyi on the adoption of the European Commission's Action Plan against Cyberbullying.
He said that during the meeting, Ministers agreed that inclusiveness must be integrated within the entire mental health continuum in a health-across-policies approach. He added that a key priority identified was the shift from fragmented, hospital-centered systems to community-based, person-centered care models that promote dignity, participation, and social reintegration.
Also, he said that they stressed the importance of early detention, school-based mental health promotion, digital literacy, and resilience-building initiatives. Delegations also highlighted the need to combat stigma, reinforce family and community support, and improve coordination across health, education, social, and employment sectors.
'At the EU level, Member States supported enhanced exchange of best practices, common indicators, and voluntary benchmarking, alongside stronger financial and technical support,' he noted.
Regarding the implementation of the European Health Data Space Regulation, he said that Ministers broadly agreed that the European Health Data Space has transformative potential for healthcare delivery, research, and public health by enabling secure, interoperable, and trustworthy cross-border use of health data.
Charalambides mentioned that delegations reported uneven levels of progress and noted that the implementation process is both a significant opportunity and a complex implementation challenge.
He also noted that public trust, transparency, and accountability were repeatedly underlined as critical elements. Reportedly, key challenges identified included sustainable financing, digital infrastructure gaps, shortages of specialized expertise, and the complexity of coordinating multiple stakeholders at the national level. 'The Presidency's initiative to convene a technical meeting in Cyprus was welcomed as a practical step to address operational challenges and promote peer learning,' the Minister said.
On his part, Commissioner V¡rhelyi said that 'Europe and its healthcare system is at a crossroad and the basic question is how we can preserve the European healthcare system, which is unique in the world.'
He also said that the aim is to boost timely access to medicines or continue to ensure that, to create inclusive mental health policy and the implementation of the European health data space.
The Commissioner explained that the comprehensive health package proposed for the European Union at the end of 2025 focuses on the modernization and the reform of the health system. Speaking about the importance of the Safe Hearts plan, he underlined the positive impact of prevention in saving both lives and finances.
On the Biotech Act, he said that it will accelerate innovation and make clinical trials much faster in Europe, which should anchor the accessibility of medicine in Europe. 'Then we have also proposed the review of the medical devices regulations, to make sure that we have a much more state-of-the-art set of rules, by driving down the costs of the time and improving the predictability, but also catering for the new developments to be created through the Biotech Act,' he continued.
'And of course, the challenge now for the Cypriot Presidency is that there are also outstanding elements that need to be delivered,' the Commissioner stressed. He added that the Commission expects the administrative finalization of the pharmaceutical package, as well as the conclusion on the Critical Medicines Act, which was designed to address the availability problems, the access problems.
'There is no one more credible to get the Critical Medicines Act across the finishing line, and I have very high hopes that in the coming weeks, basically, the Presidency will just deliver that,' he said.
Responding to a question about the effect of Trump's Most-Favoured-Nation drug policy, he explained that EU's response to the MFN has been the legislative health package proposed at the end of the year. He said that, while the EU has been looking at financial incentives, at the same time, it is looking into the simplification agenda. 'We know that our businesses are running at higher costs. This is why it was paramount to look into the simplification agenda,' he said.
'If you look at the biotech proposal, we have tried to make life easier and simpler without compromising on patient safety and without compromising on the science,' he added, expressing a 'personal educated guess' that there will be 20-25% of cost reductions, compared to the 15% of USA tariffs.
He also underlined the importance of ensuring that innovation will continue in Europe. 'We will continue to have clinical trials in Europe so that we will continue to have manufacturing in Europe and we will continue to have access in Europe,' he said, concluding that 'if we have innovation and clinical trials in Europe, most likely you will have also access to the best available therapy'.