On 16 January, the Commission launched the Critical Medical Alliance, including in parallel, a Call for expression of interest. The Call is open to interested stakeholders from industry and civil society – including from the Western Balkans – who will have one month to apply.  Please see more info in this link European Critical Medicines Alliance - European Commission (europa.eu).

For background information here is the link to the Commission’s Communication on this topic, adopted in October 2023.  As outlined in the Communication, a Critical Medicines international network will also be established, which will act as a forum for manufacturers and key consuming countries to collaborate on supply diversification and crisis preparedness.  In addition, the Commission plans to enter into strategic partnerships with non-EU countries, aimed at boosting the production of critical medicines and APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients), tailored to the specific potentials of each partner.