This Week in Healthcare — Brussels (#19, 2026)
Lithuania receives €178m NextGenerationEU payment; EIC selects EQT for €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund; Council acts on avian influenza; SANT Committee backs global health cooperation.
May 17, 2026 to May 23, 2026
Lithuania receives €178m NextGenerationEU payment; EIC selects EQT for €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund; Council acts on avian influenza; SANT Committee backs global health cooperation.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 🇪🇺 European Commission
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• ✒️ EP Committee Work
European Commission
Commission greenlights Lithuania's sixth payment request for €178 million under NextGenerationEU
The European Commission on 17 May 2026 issued a positive assessment for Lithuania's sixth payment request, totaling €178 million in grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, central to NextGenerationEU. The request covers reforms that further digitalisation, transparency and efficiency in Lithuania’s public sector, alongside investments in health monitoring, public dashboards, and a revised social protection system. Significant progress includes digital tools for remote learning and analytics, and sectoral improvements in healthcare service monitoring via publicly accessible dashboards. The Commission found Lithuania had satisfactorily completed ten milestones and eight targets in accordance with the Council Implementing Decision. The assessment has been forwarded to the Council’s Economic and Financial Committee, which will review before payment is issued. Lithuania must submit all remaining requests by September 2026 as the Facility closes at the end of the year.
European Innovation Council selects EQT to lead €5 Billion Scaleup Europe Fund
The European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund Board, on 17 May 2026, named EQT as preferred manager for the €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund. This fund, the largest of its kind in Europe, is intended to supply growth capital to high-potential scaleups in deep tech, including biotech and medical innovation. The selection followed a competitive process, with the operational launch subject to final agreements and investor commitments progressing in the coming weeks. The Fund, part of the EIC structure, will be presented at the EIC Summit on 3 June 2026 and is scheduled to make its first investments in autumn. Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva remarked on the coalition of investors aligning behind the initiative.
Remarks by President von der Leyen at the EU-Mexico summit: pharma sector regulatory alignment
On 21 May 2026, President Ursula von der Leyen addressed a business delegation at the EU-Mexico summit, highlighting enhanced regulatory cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector. The modernised Global Agreement between the EU and Mexico will facilitate investment, particularly by harmonising pharma regulations and allowing European companies to participate in Mexico's public procurement, including at regional levels. This access aims to strengthen supply chains, support local jobs, and encourage cross-border technology transfers. The EU has announced €5 billion in investments in Mexico under the Global Gateway plan, targeting clean energy infrastructure and trade in raw materials. The summit marks 25 years since the original Agreement entered into force.
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
Council Decision (EU) 2026/1138 authorising negotiations for the Union's membership in the Council of Europe Development Bank
Council Decision (EU) 2026/1138, published 21 May 2026, enables the Union to negotiate terms for joining the Council of Europe Development Bank. The Commission is designated as Union negotiator, with directives outlined in the addendum. The aim is to reinforce cooperation on social policy including healthcare, housing, poverty reduction, education, and vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities. The Bank also supports post-conflict reconstruction and assistance to Ukraine, complementing Union objectives and funding mechanisms. The Union's membership is intended to leverage CEB expertise in areas relevant to health and social cohesion.
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1091 strengthens emergency measures for avian influenza
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1091, dated 18 May 2026, amends emergency measures in the Annex to Decision (EU) 2023/2447 to address new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Czechia, Estonia, France, Poland, and Austria. The Decision lists updated protection, surveillance, and restricted zones, reflecting national disease control actions and cross-border collaboration. These emergency measures, based on Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, target disease containment in establishments housing poultry or captive birds, aiming to limit spread and mitigate trade disruption. The urgency of the situation dictated immediate effect.
EP Committee Work
Draft report on monitoring and controlling drug precursors
On 20 May 2026, the INTA Committee published a draft report on the proposed regulation for monitoring and controlling drug precursors, intending to repeal Regulations (EC) No 273/2004 and (EC) No 111/2005. Rapporteur Nicolas Bay leads the drafting process. The report addresses updated frameworks for precursor control, relevant to pharmaceutical manufacturing and research, with anticipated cross-sectoral impacts on medical and healthcare supply chains.
MEPs reaffirm support to strong global cooperation on public health
The SANT Committee delegation, chaired by Tilly Metz, concluded high-level meetings with the World Health Organization in Geneva. Discussions focused on global health governance reforms, implementation of the Pandemic Agreement, preparedness, antimicrobial resistance, and climate’s role in health. The delegation reinforced the EU's commitment to strengthening WHO cooperation, highlighting evidence-based policymaking, health equity, and prevention. Six MEPs participated, representing a cross-section of political groups.
