Date: 28 – 29 April 2008

Venue: Brdo Congress Centre, Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia

Attendance: 90 participants. By invitation only.

There is a constant need at the EU level for more intensive cooperation among the competent authorities for pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals. The meeting is a Slovenian Presidency project intended to establish a networking process among EU Member States authorities in coordination with the European Commission. Both the content and the form of the networking will need to build on the existing legal framework in which the EU Member States exercise their competence in pricing and reimbursement. At the same time, their willingness to cooperate more  closely in the identification of best practices and in evaluating the impact of the developed systems should be the driving  force for their regular interaction. The networking will be connected to the activities of the Pharmaceutical Forum and other ongoing initiatives in the field. It is envisioned as a long- term project and should contribute to increased transparency of the pricing and reimbursement decisions of the Member States, for the benefit of European Union citizens.

Networking Meeting of Competent Authorities for Pricing and Reimbursement of Pharmaceuticals, Brdo, Slovenia, April 28-29, 2008

Delegations of 27 EU/EEA Member States established a network of Competent Authorities for Pricing and Reimbursement of Pharmaceuticals at the meeting held at Brdo, Slovenia. The event was  jointly organized by the Slovenian EU Presidency Program and the European Commission. Minister of Health of the Republic of Slovenia Mrs. Zofija Mazej Kukovič and Mr. Heinz Zourek, Director General, DG Enterprise, European Commission, addressed the meeting as the high representatives of the organizers. They stressed the importance of the formation of the network in the view of maintaining the balance among the three important goals in the field: enabling the access to medicines to patients, managing the budgets for medicines, providing for the reward for innovation, as well as the necessity to improve the access to medicines to the EU/EEA national markets. 

The participants agreed on the main elements of the network such as its objectives, scope, membership, organization and support, and working methods. The network is designed as an informal a strategic and bridge building platform for the Member States. It is intended to exchange experience and information on decision making in the area of pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceuticals. While the competence of the Member States in the area is maintained, the network contributes to their efficient decision making by providing a place to address high level topics of common interest. It relies on the knowledge gathered in the recent initiatives with EU/EEA relevance such as Pharmaceutical Forum, Infoprice, PPRI and others. 

The membership of the forum includes the authorites/bodies of the Member States that are vested by national laws to make administrative decisions in the area, and the competent general Directorates of the European Commission. The Network is developing relationships with stakeholders, interested organizations and third countries. It is coordinated by a group composed of four Member States linked with EU Presidency sequence and the Commission. Among working methods, regular meetings, IT supported interaction and appropriate public visibility are planned.

Addressing the emerging and outstanding topics in the area such as fair price formation, better access to information on reimbursement status of medicines, orphan medicines policy, affordable access to essential medicines in all markets,  the network is expected to contribute to the efficient regulation in the area for the benefit of EU citizens. 

speach of the Minister