Year in review: European integration in the healthcare sector
In 2024, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine made a significant step forward on the path to European integration. The main achievements covered three key areas: fulfillment of European integration obligations, development of international cooperation, and active participation in programs and initiatives of the European Commission.
1. Fulfillment of European integration commitments
Ukraine continues to implement European standards in the healthcare sector. Progress in the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU reached 88%, 10% more than in the previous year. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine was actively involved in 23 out of 37 negotiating groups with the EU. More than 350 acts of EU law covering key aspects of healthcare, including licensing, quality control, and standards of healthcare services, were reviewed.
Among the most important legislative initiatives of the year was the development of 25 out of 50 regulatory acts provided for by the Law of Ukraine “On Medicines”. The roadmap for the implementation of the EU Directive on cross-border medicine (2011/24/EU) was approved. The licensing conditions for the preparation of donor blood that meet the standards of Directive 2002/98/EC, as well as the strategy for the development of voluntary blood donation were adopted. The National Strategy for the Control of Malignant Tumors until 2030 aimed at reducing cancer incidence was developed, and the Law on Harmonization of Food Additives Standards under Directive 2002/46/EC was adopted.
2. International cooperation
In 2024, Ukraine significantly expanded its cooperation with international partners. European integration cooperation has been established with 11 EU countries in the healthcare sector, which has led to the conclusion of 22 international agreements, and another 11 are in the process of preparation. A special place among these achievements is occupied by 5 technical agreements with Latvia, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Denmark, which expanded access to modern medical technologies and professional advice.
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has signed two memorandums of cooperation in the field of registration of medicines with Poland (URPL, WMiPB) and Sweden (Läkemedelsverket). These documents will help simplify the registration of medicines and harmonize regulatory procedures.
3. Participation in the programs of the European Commission
Since the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has joined the HERA Board, a European body for health emergency preparedness and response. This allowed Ukraine to participate in the development of plans and mechanisms for responding to crises in the healthcare system. An important event was the inclusion of Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers in the Critical Medicine Alliance, which integrates Ukrainian enterprises into European supply chains for vital medicines.
In January 2024, Ukraine took part in a Cluster 6 meeting with the European Commission on the harmonization of healthcare standards and consumer protection. In April, an explanatory meeting was held in Brussels with the European Commission on the negotiated Title 28 “Consumer Protection and Healthcare”. For the first time, the conference "”European Integration of Ukraine: Healthcare” was organized jointly with the European Commission to discuss Ukraine’s role in the EU healthcare system.
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has also launched TAIEX and Twinning training projects. Within the framework of TAIEX, a short-term technical assistance program that includes trainings, seminars, consultations, and exchange of experience between EU experts and partner countries, three projects have been launched in the areas of medical devices, cosmetics, and biocides. Two projects have been launched under the Twinning program, a long-term partnership program between EU government agencies and partner countries aimed at systemic reforms: the creation of a state control body in the pharmaceutical industry and overcoming cross-border threats.