DG TRADE comments on the latest developments in EU trade trends

Posted on 02.02.2022

On 25 January, on the occasion of the Commission’s Civil Society Dialogue meeting, Sabine Weyand, DG TRADE Director General, commented that, although severely tested and put under pressure at the beginning of the pandemic, the supply chains of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other COVID-19 related essential medical technologies have positively become more resilient and secure over time.

Trade rules and agreements can be crucial in determining access to medical technologies. Besides the reinforcement and realignment of supply chains, Weyand commented on several trade policy issues closely monitored by MedTech Europe International Affairs team.

Weyand notably welcomed the stabilization of the relations with the United States with the launch of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council and the development of the International Procurement Instrument (IPI), expected to be finally adopted during the current French Presidency of the Council of the EU. European companies in the medical technology sector are confronted with challenging access to the procurement markets in third countries. This is due to a lack of transparency and local content requirements in public tenders. Once adopted, the IPI, promoting a level playing field, would represent an essential part of the EU’s toolbox, helping companies compete abroad.

For more information, please get in touch with Dario Belluomini, Manager International Affairs.