Ukraine signed the Joint Procurement Agreement for medical countermeasures
Ukraine has joined the Joint Procurement Agreement (JPA) for medical countermeasures, which has been in force in the EU since 2014 and currently unites 38 countries, including EU members and candidate countries. This mechanism allows participating countries to pool their procurement needs for medicines, vaccines, and other medical countermeasures to obtain them faster, in more favorable terms, and stable quantities — especially during times of crisis, such as pandemics.
Minister of Health Viktor Liashko signed the agreement on behalf of Ukraine. He took part in the tenth meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council, which took place in Brussels on April 9, 2025, as part of a delegation headed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Participation in the JPA is voluntary and does not oblige the state to procure in any particular procedure. At the same time, it gives Ukraine access to pan-European health protection instruments, allows it to formulate needs on par with other EU countries, participate in large international tenders, and ensure faster access to critical medicines when needed.
Among the areas in which Ukraine is interested are the supply of diphtheria antitoxin, given the limited availability of this drug on the market and existing cases of the disease, joint procurement of antiviral medicines to treat seasonal acute respiratory infections, and antibiotics to combat severe infectious complications caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The JPA is an important tool for EU Member States to pool their medical countermeasure needs to obtain better procurement terms and ensure equal access to critical resources such as medicines and vaccines.
“Joining the JPA of medical countermeasures is a systemic decision that strengthens the resilience of the Ukrainian healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated that fast and guaranteed access to medicines and vaccines is not only a matter of convenience, but also a matter of security and crisis preparedness. Joint procurement under the JPA allows countries to act in a coordinated manner, use resources efficiently and be better prepared for common challenges. I am confident that our participation in this mechanism will deepen cooperation with European partners and make us stronger in protecting the health of citizens. This is an important step towards Ukraine's full integration into the European health care system.”
Examples of procurements already implemented by other countries include the procurement of antiviral drugs for patients with COVID-19 and pneumonia requiring hospitalization (for 13 countries), diphtheria antitoxin (8 countries), and pandemic influenza vaccine (12 countries).
In general, during the meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council, the participants discussed a wide range of issues of key importance to Ukraine's security, resilience, and European future. In particular, the extension of the ACAA Agreement to the pharmaceutical industry (the so-called “pharma visa-free regime”), which Ukraine announced as part of its accelerated integration during a bilateral screening meeting with the European Commission on negotiating Title 28 “Consumer Protection and Health” in Brussels on February 11, 2025. This refers to the inclusion of medicines in the list provided for in Annex III of the Association Agreement. This will ensure mutual recognition of the results of inspections of the production of medicines for compliance with the requirements of good manufacturing practice (GMP), and thus simplify the entry of Ukrainian medicines into the European market.