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The European Commission has published a Temporary Framework Communication to provide antitrust guidance to companies cooperating in response to urgent situations related to the current coronavirus outbreak. In this context, the Commission is also issuing a “comfort letter” concerning a specific cooperation project aimed at avoiding situations of shortages of critical hospital medicines.

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in charge of competition policy said: 

“We need to make sure that there is sufficient supply of the critical hospital medicines used to treat coronavirus patients. To avoid the risk of shortages of essential and scarce products and services because of the unprecedented surge in demand due to the pandemic, we need businesses to cooperate and do it in line with European Competition rules. So to ensure supply we will urgently provide businesses with sufficient guidance and comfort to facilitate cooperation initiatives boosting the production of products in high demand. The temporary framework adopted today explains when and how firms can obtain guidance or written comfort in line with our competition rules.”

Today, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides is also putting forward Guidelines to optimise supply and availability of medicines during the coronavirus outbreak.

Click here for the full press release