Sector & service specialists

The healthcare industry is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries. Consuming over 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of most developed nations, healthcare forms an enormous part of the EU’s economy. The healthcare industry is made up of two main groups: healthcare equipment and services; and pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and related life sciences. Europe’s pharmaceutical sector employs some 750,000 people and generates three to four times more employment indirectly. Medical technology is also a major contributor to the EU economy, employing over 650,000 people in high quality jobs in a market estimated at around €110 billion.

As healthcare concerns human health, it is one of the most regulated industry sectors and gives rise to one of the most vibrant Brussels public affairs communities. By far the biggest spenders on public affairs are the 40 leading pharmaceutical companies who are members of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). In second place are the Diagnostics and Medical Devices manufacturers represented collectively by MedTech Europe.

European governments are looking at whether Trump can force them to pay more for prescription medicines, after he issued an executive order to lower U.S. drug prices.  The Trump administration wants to reduce the gap between U.S. drug prices and especially those in Europe, where the prices of prescription drugs are significantly lower.  RAND recently found that “U.S. prices across all drugs were 278 percent of prices in the 33 OECD comparison countries.” Meanwhile, CEOs of the research-based pharmaceutical industry issued a stark warning in April 2025 to President von der Leyen that unless Europe delivers rapid, radical policy change then pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing is increasingly likely to be directed towards the US.

EU countries hold primary responsibility for organising and delivering health services and medical care. EU health policy therefore serves to complement national policies, and to ensure health protection in all EU policies.  However, COVID-19 has brought the EU’s health policy into sharp focus and fostered joint actions such as vaccine procurement.

Healthcare lobbyists will be kept busy as the European Health Union will focus on both urgent and long-term health priorities, from cross-border health threats to the EU Life Sciences Strategy.  EFPIA and its member companies believe that the current direction of EU pharmaceutical legislation will undermine Europe’s competitiveness and slow the research, development and delivery of new treatments and vaccines in Europe.  The EU will also continue to pursue international cooperation on global health threats and challenges such as antimicrobial-resistant infections and vaccination.