Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1358359
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 APRIL 2021 OPINION Unfair discrimination on access to medicines people (not just the Opposi- tion) are so unwisely doing – is actually to do Robert Abela, and Labour in general, a huge polit- ical favour. It only assists the Labour Party in ridding itself, once and for all, of all the political baggage asso- ciated with its former adminis- tration. And this, at a time when all Bernard Grech's attempts to do the same for the National Party – including an abortive shadow cabinet reshuffle, just a couple of months ago – have so far come to naught. In the end, then, the elector- ate will only be confronted by a choice of - on one hand - a whole bunch of new, much younger, and (to date, at least) unblemished faces… and on the other, the same old tired team that is already responsible for two crushing electoral defeats on the trot. And this, alone, may account for Robert Abela's apparent nonchalance, in the face of an avalanche of scandals that would almost certainly be enough to bury any other polit- ical party, in any other country, or at any other time. For we are not living 'in any other country', are we? And still less are we living in 'any other time'. No indeed: though the Opposition may not have realised this yet, we are actu- ally living in the present: the all-important 'here and now', which – by the immutable laws of politics – is what ultimately governs the fortunes of any po- litical party. And right here, right now… it's all going Robert Abela's way, as far as I can see. And boy, does he look like he knows it… THE current crisis has shown how crucial it is for us to take care of our wellbeing and although COVID-19 may currently be our main priority, we must not forget the count- less other illnesses and conditions that re- quire daily treatment even during a pandem- ic. We have learnt how crucial it is to use all available resources to tackle the health crisis and this principle carries over in the battle against all illnesses. It is for this reason that I have sent an urgent question to the European Commis- sion and a cross-parliamentary letter in an effort to pressure the Commission to ensure that small member states, such as Malta and their citizens, have access to affordable phar- maceutical products. The current EU rules create un- fair discrimination against member states with small- er health systems and pharmaceuti- cal markets, such as Malta. The decision to effectively place a product on the mem- ber states' markets is solely based on the pharmaceutical companies' commer- cial and economic interests. While the current legislation provides the indus- try with the right to place their products on the markets of all member states, there is no mirroring right entitling the member states to get access to those products that have been authorised and placed on the EU Single Market. It is a known fact that unfortunately pri- vate companies often have no interest or incentive to place a medicinal product in the small Member States, such as our own country. This situation creates difficulty in accessing affordable medicines for Maltese patients, higher prices , and often even the withdrawal of particular products. This scenario which is faced by multiple states has resulted in a long-standing structur- al problem and most member states have joined regional groupings like the Valletta Declaration to try and combat this issue. Countries like Malta and Cyprus have be- come strongly dependent upon the supply of medicine from and through the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, with the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU, Mal- ta and others in a similar situation face an immediate problem of access and shortages to pharmaceutical and medicinal products. We are aware of the fact that shortages of medicines can undermine countries' health systems, and this is something which we must avoid, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Pure economic and market forces should not drive access to medicinal products. The European Pil- lar of Social Rights states that 'Everyone has the right to time- ly access to afforda- ble, preventive, and curative health care of good quality.' Un- fortunately, this is not possible without access to affordable medicines. If a product is au- thorised in the Single Market, it should be available in all mem- ber states and Mal- tese citizens should not be deprived or refused access to medicinal products. I've called upon the Commission to en- sure that these prod- ucts are placed on the market of all member states within a rea- sonable time, and it should be done in a fair and transparent manner. The Commis- sion should also address the shortage and the continuity of supply and access to af- fordable medicines in the smaller markets. Together we can send a clear message to our citizens and create a genuine Single Market for pharmaceuticals to ensure that the supply of affordable medicine across the EU is genuinely provided to all member states and all EU citizens. Let us stop the current situation where states are punished because of their size and establish a system where everyone has the right to timely ac- cess to affordable, preventive, and curative health care of good quality. Alex Agius Saliba is a Labour MEP (S&D) Alex Agius Saliba While the current legislation provides the industry with the right to place their products on the markets of all member states, there is no mirroring right entitling the member states to get access to those products that have been authorised and placed on the EU Single Market