Open Letter: Drugs are health, not the drug industry

OCU has sent the following letter to different Spanish institutions to avoid reality that President's Junker to move competency over drugs and pharmaceuticals from the Department of Health to the Department of the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. We believe that the market interests cannot be above health considerations which is why we strongly oppose the plans of the new President of the European Commission as a step backwards in the policy followed so far.

We are writing to you in order to show our deep concern at the announcement from the new President of the European Commission, Mr. Junker, of his intention to transfer the responsibility for medicines from the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety to the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
The economic crisis, the aging population, technological advances and new threats to health pose a challenge to the sustainability of European health systems and health inequalities between EU Member States, and even within them are increasing.

The European Commission, as guardian of the Treaties, has an important role to "ensure a high level of protection of human health". This requires an unwavering vision and a consistent and coherent public health policy.
European citizens have the right to high quality, safe, affordable and effective treatment. And from our point of view, pharmaceuticals and medical devices are not and should not be treated just like any other product on the domestic market, as they are intended to safeguard people’s health.
The main thrust of EU policies on pharmaceuticals and health technologies should be the promotion and protection of health. However the Commission for Internal Market, Industry Entrepreneurship and SMEs has a mandate to promote the competitiveness of industry and the European economy. A change from the Commission for Health and Food Safety to the previously mentioned Commission would give European consumers a sign that economic interests come before those of their health.

In 2009, the responsibility for medicines and medical devices were transferred to the Commission of Health to harmonise pharmaceutical management within Member States and to facilitate the preparation for emergencies. The change now announced by President Junker has absolutely no justification and represents a big step backwards.
We ask the department you head to display bold leadership when putting the interests of health over economic interests and that all necessary efforts should be made to make the President of the European Commission reconsider this decision and to ensure that drugs and pharmaceuticals remain where they should be, ie in the health portfolio.