The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for a coordinated pan-European response to health emergencies. On Tuesday, 19 September, AmCham EU hosted a Plenary meeting to address the future of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the lessons that can be learned from the American Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
HERA: what is the future of the European pandemic preparedness response?
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for a coordinated pan-European response to health emergencies. On Tuesday, 19 September, AmCham EU hosted a Plenary meeting to address the future of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the lessons that can be learned from the American Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
The event kicked off with a panel on advancing transatlantic coordination in pandemic preparedness moderated by Emilia Valbum (3M), Vice-Chair, Healthcare Committee, AmCham EU. The conversation featured experts from Europe and the US including Tamara Weinger-Požar, Deputy Ambassador to the Permanent Representation of Slovenia; Karel Lannoo, Chief Executive, CEPS and Christopher Houchens, Director, Division of CBRN Countermeasures, BARDA. The panel centred around the need for an ambitious plan for HERA, the necessity to support research and development (R&D) as well as the role of industry.
It was followed by a keynote address delivered by Pierre Delsaux, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission. Mr Delsaux highlighted that HERA will look beyond institutions and old governance models and focus on ensuring further support for R&D.
A link between HERA and BREDA will also be crucial to pandemic preparedness.With a need for better access to data, support from and to the industry as well as allocated funding, HERA can prove a valuable solution to the future of pandemic preparedness if it manages to touch on the entire lifecycle of medicines and work to ensure cross-border collaboration.
Watch Emilia Valbum and Karel Lannoo discuss the role of HERA and how businesses can support it.
Related items
:focal())
News
4 May 2026
Discussing healthcare policy priorities in Strasbourg
On Tuesday, 28 to Wednesday, 29 April, AmCham EU travelled to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France for a series of meetings with policymakers to discuss ongoing EU healthcare policy initiatives. The delegation met with Members of the European Parliament, Accredited Parliamentary Assistants and Group Policy Advisers, to discuss priorities for the EU’s health agenda. This included exchanges on how to strengthen Europe’s life sciences competitiveness and support resilient supply chains. Members also stressed the need for urgent action to simplify overlapping rules and reduce complexity. They underlined that proportionate, risk-based regulation is essential to support innovation. This approach can also help ensure timely patient access to medicines, medical technologies and diagnostics.
Position Paper
11 Nov 2025
Advancing short-term improvements to the EU Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulations
The Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostics Regulations (MDR/IVDR) have created unworkable complexity for the medical devices industry, with dire consequences for European patients. To address these challenges, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) or political groups can help address the unintended consequences of the current framework by tabling a Parliamentary Question that urges the European Commission to introduce targeted relief measures in parallel to a comprehensive revision of the MDR and IVDR. This would support the European Commission to implement short-term relief measures, in addition to the MDR/IVDR revision, that bolster efficiency, mitigate administrative bottlenecks and increase predictability in the regulatory processes. This would have an immediate impact on patient access and boost Europe’s innovation.
:focal())
News
27 Oct 2025
Advancing EU health policy through competitiveness and innovation
On Monday, 27 October, AmCham EU met with Lorena Boix-Alonso, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission, for an exchange on the role of health policy in strengthening the EU’s competitiveness. The discussion focused on how to foster innovation while ensuring patient safety, as well as ways to streamline the legislative framework to improve efficiency and uphold high standards of care. AmCham EU highlighted the importance of evidence-based, future-proof regulation that supports a resilient health system and drives innovation. Continued dialogue is essential to advancing shared goals for Europe’s health agenda.
Policy priorities
Insights and advocacy driving Europe’s policy agenda. Our priorities support growth, innovation and a stronger transatlantic economy.
Membership
Connecting business and policymakers to strengthen the voice of American companies in Europe.