Under the Commission’s proposal, the Act would create a framework for strategic projects that can benefit from faster permitting and easier access to funding, support more resilient procurement practices, and enable collaborative procurement when countries choose to act together. The plan has been presented as part of the EU’s wider effort to strengthen the European Health Union and sits alongside ongoing reforms to pharmaceutical legislation. MEPs have sought to sharpen the industrial emphasis of the proposal. Parliament’s position points towards procurement rules that favour suppliers with a significant manufacturing footprint within the EU, including for active pharmaceutical ingredients, and stronger coordination of national stockpiles and contingency reserves. Lawmakers have also pushed to make joint procurement more workable by easing participation thresholds compared with the Commission’s original draft. Pharmaceutical industry groups broadly support the objective of reducing shortages but have warned against measures they say could unintentionally restrict supply. EFPIA has cautioned that favouring manufacturing location in tenders risks narrowing supplier pools and reducing flexibility, while also raising questions about how and when joint procurement mechanisms would be activated. The industry body has argued that the final rules should remain targeted and proportionate. Concerns have also emerged about the global impact of the EU’s approach. Health policy organisations and African health advocates have warned that accelerated EU stockpiling and reshoring incentives could place additional strain on already tight global markets. They argue that higher European demand could divert supplies away from African countries, drive up prices for key inputs, and complicate efforts by African governments and the African Union to build their own pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity. MEPs involved in the file have acknowledged the balance between strengthening EU resilience and avoiding negative spillovers abroad. While the Commission text refers to the possibility of international partnerships to diversify supply chains, critics say the Parliament’s position remains focused primarily on Europe. The file now moves into negotiations with the Council, where member states have stressed diversification, collaborative procurement and reinforced EU manufacturing as core priorities....