Avicenna Alliance prepares for the next EU policy session
As September begins, politicians have returned to their EU posts and are preparing for what will be a busy few months for health policy. The Avicenna Alliance must also prepare to engage with policy-makers, draft amendments, and continue to advocate for policy changes that support the adoption of in-silico medicine.
To ensure we are ready, we have returned to the European Commission’s 2021 Work Programme, released in October 2020, and evaluated the progress of the agenda. In late 2021 and early 2022, the Commission intended to address the establishment of a European biomedical research and development agency, the creation of the European Health Data Space, an evaluation of the cross-border healthcare Directive, and continued incorporation of digitalisation into EU plans.
The majority of these initiatives have published some progress, typically through stakeholder discussions and public consultations, but have not yet submitted final versions or approved legislation. There remain significant uncertainties – and opportunities for advocacy – in the outcomes of the planned projects.
We have some clues as to what will be prioritised: the College of Commissioners plans to discuss Europe’s Digital Decade and the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) immediately upon returning in early September, and address the Data Act in early December. The focus on Europe’s Digital Decade was cemented in June, when the Commission approved Horizon Europe’s 2021-2022 work programme, which budgeted 4 billion Euros for digital development and innovation. We also know that the new Slovenian Presidency of the Council intends to focus on many of the same subjects, with additional attention being paid to the Beating Cancer Plan and artificial intelligence.
We look forward to engaging as an Alliance to further advance in silico medicine’s inclusion and acceptance as a crucial tenet of health care systems and medical innovation.