Addressing medicine shortages by reassessing the revised Urban Wastewater Directive
1.4.2025
Question for written answer E-001335/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Ton Diepeveen (PfE), Sebastiaan Stöteler (PfE)
There is currently a shortage of medicines in many EU countries. In its proposal for a critical medicines act, the Commission presented a strategy to address this shortage, with availability and affordability of medicines being the key objectives.
On the other hand, on 5 November 2024, the Council adopted the revised Urban Waste Water Directive, which has a major impact on the availability and affordability of medicines. Sewage treatment plants need to be upgraded to better remove medicine residues. The cost of implementing this will be passed on to drug manufacturers and thus ultimately to the end users of the medicines.
- 1.Does the Commission agree that the revised Urban Wastewater Directive is inconsistent with the objectives of the proposed critical medicines act, namely the availability and affordability of medicines?
- 2.Does the Commission agree that the revised Urban Wastewater Directive discourages the production of medicines at a time when the production of medicines is crucial to addressing the drug shortage?
- 3.Is the Commission prepared to reassess the revised Urban Wastewater Directive?
Submitted: 1.4.2025