EU Market; More Talks Needed, Says Bangemann

European Commissioner for Industry Martin Bangemann called last week for more talks between the health ministries of European Union member states and the pharmaceutical industry on problems relating to the completion of the single EU market for medicines.

He was speaking at the end of a round-table meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, hosted by himself and European Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn, which discussed issues concerning the single drug market. These included price controls, parallel imports, the pricing of innovative drugs, the effects of currency fluctations on pricing and the need for greater transparency.

Dr Bangemann told the meeting that he would continue with efforts to lessen individual member state governments' powers to set prices. This matter was raised by industry speakers including Jan Leschley, chief executive of SmithKline Beecham, which has this month lost in the European Court against UK parallel importer Europharm (see page 3). Mr Leschley told the meeting that the growth of parallel imports would lower prices across the EU, and warned that this could lead to manufacturers switching investments away from Europe and towards the USA.