Europe stands at a critical juncture, it has the talent, infrastructure, and scientific excellence to lead in life sciences - but bold action is essential to remain competitive especially in the face of growing global trade pressures.
To reclaim its place as a global hub for biopharmaceutical innovation, Europe must turn shared insights into concrete actions to drive sustainable growth, boost R&D investment, and deliver cutting-edge therapies to patients faster.
The decisions made now on the EU Pharma Package will significantly shape not only the future of life sciences but the economic resilience and global competitiveness of the European Union. As the Danish EU Presidency leads the Council negotiations, we must seize this opportunity to ensure Europe remains a global leader in health innovation.
This article is part of The Parliament's Guide to the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The ongoing discussions within the Pharmaceutical Package are central to this vision. They represent a once-in-a-generation chance to strengthen Europe’s innovation ecosystem by creating a more predictable regulatory environment, modernising and strengthening intellectual property frameworks, and enabling faster access to medicines for patients across the EU. We welcome the Commission’s proposals on key points—from shortening regulatory timelines to safeguarding rare disease incentives—but more ambition is needed to unlock the full potential of the Single Market.
This moment calls for a comprehensive, forward-looking approach. Europe's competitiveness depends on more than one legislative package. The Pharmaceutical Package should be viewed as the cornerstone of a broader Life Science Strategy that positions Europe as a hub for cutting-edge R&D, clinical trials, and biotechnological breakthroughs. Crucially, this requires legislative coherence—ensuring that upcoming initiatives like the EU Biotech Act reinforce, rather than undermine, the sector’s innovation capacity.
Founded in Osaka in 1781, Takeda has grown into a global values-based, R&D driven biopharmaceutical company with the vision to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patient, our people and the planet. Our values of Takeda-ism, which incorporate Integrity, Fairness, Honesty and Perseverance, with Integrity at the core are brought to life through actions based on Patient-Trust-Reputation-Business, in that order. With a strong footprint in Europe, including e.g. manufacturing facilities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain we are deeply embedded in the European ecosystem with operations in 37 countries across the region.
Through sustained investment and strong partnerships, we advocate for a policy environment that nurtures innovation and prioritises patient access. We focus on innovations that contribute to making a difference in people’s lives in our core therapeutic areas including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines.
Rare diseases are a central part of Takeda’s mission. We are committed to long-term collaboration with governments, healthcare systems, and patient representatives to close the access gap and improve treatments for underserved populations. Denmark’s leadership in this field is significant, and the influence of the upcoming Nordic Rare Disease Summit in Copenhagen is a promise of major achievements. Takeda is committed to support and work together with the new Council Presidency and other policymakers and stakeholders as partnership is a clear key to success.
The pharmaceutical industry contributes over €40 billion annually to R&D and drives a €147 billion EU trade surplus. Yet, it is still not seen as a strategic economic asset. We must change the narrative: fostering innovation in life sciences is essential not only for patients but for Europe’s technological sovereignty, economic growth, and health resilience.
In this context, our collaboration with EFPIA plays an important supporting role. As part of EFPIA’s collective efforts—and in my new role as Chair of its Innovation Board Sponsored Committee — we continue to engage with policymakers to ensure a legislative outcome that truly reflects Europe’s ambitions. Recent achievements, such as the European Parliament’s support for decoupling access obligations from incentives, show that progress is possible through partnership.
As the Danish Presidency guides the Council discussions, we are ready to work alongside EU institutions and stakeholders to ensure the final Pharmaceutical Package strengthens Europe’s innovation base. Now is the time to deliver a future-proof, patient-centric framework that re-establishes the EU’s position as a world leader in life sciences.
References:
- Draghi, M. (2024). The Future of European Competitiveness—A Competitiveness Strategy for Europe.
https://commission.europa.eu/document/97e481fd-2dc3-412d-be4c-f152a8232961_en
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). (2024). Economic footprint of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe: November 2024. European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
- Nicoletti, B. (2025). New European biotech act: Which way forward? European Parliamentary Research Service. PE 772.866. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank
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