European parliamentarians have defended the formal marketing authorization approach being taken by the EU, saying “safety is of the utmost importance” if there is to be trust in coronavirus vaccines.

A package of health proposals intended to build up the EU’s resilience to health threats while strengthening the competitiveness of Europe’s pharmaceutical industry and ensuring access to affordable drugs takes a major step through the legislative process this week.

European Commission proposals for strengthening intellectual property protections in the EU, particularly the supplementary protection certificate (SPC) system, have been broadly welcomed by Europe’s brand industry. But the medical NGO, MSF, says the SPC proposals run counter to the commission’s own efforts to improve access to medicines.