Europe’s Energy Crisis: Actions Needed to Reinforce Healthcare Capabilities

Posted on 30.09.2022

The growing energy crisis in Europe is putting enormous pressure on the European healthcare sector. Rising energy costs, combined with foreseen energy supply disruptions across Member States, are severely impacting the production, assembly, delivery, and storage of medical technologies − i.e., in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and medical devices – upon which patients and healthcare systems rely.

Call for Action
The EU and its Member States can take various actions to reduce the impact of this energy crisis, to safeguard the resilience of the medical technology supply chains.
(1) The reform of the electricity market at EU level should include the decoupling of gas and electricity prices and should be conducted in close consultation with stakeholders.
(2) EU Member States should recognise the medical technology sector as a critical sector in national action plans. The Commission should support Member States by providing concrete recommendations to Member States on recognising the importance of the medical technology sector.
(3) EU Member States should facilitate a dialogue between energy suppliers and medical technology companies on how healthcare could be prioritised in the allocation of energy supplies.
(4) Member States should also address vulnerabilities in the broader medical technology supply chain and consider extending priority energy access to critical suppliers and service providers.

Read the full statement below.