Flexibility Is Key, Say German Cross-Party MPs In Rebuff To EU's Harmonized HTA

04 Apr 2018

Industry in various parts of Europe has privately voiced doubts about the practicalities of an EU-wide health technology assessment system for medical devices, and now MPs in Germany – once again politically ready after the successful completion of marathon government coalition talks – have officially opposed the idea.

No longer distracted by the minor issue of who will run the country, political parties within in the Bundestag (German lower house of parliament) have begun flexing their muscles on EU themes once more. An early target, as the 19th government administration gets underway, is the EU Commission's draft regulation on health technology assessments (2018/0018 COD), amending the 2011 Cross-Border Healthcare Directive (2011/24/EU), published on Jan. 31. Also see "Expert Analysis: EU Commission's Proposed Regulation On Health Technology Assessment " - Medtech Insight, 13 March, 2018.

The idea of EU-wide HTA has never gone away, and yet has never seen the light of day. The latest...