Recital 20

(20) As serious cross-border threats to health are not limited to Union borders, the Union should adopt a coordinated approach, characterised by solidarity and responsibility, in combatting such threats. Therefore, joint procurement of medical countermeasures should be extended to include European Free Trade Association States, Union candidate countries, in accordance with applicable Union legislation, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City State, by way of derogation from Article 165(2) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 and in accordance with Article 3(2) of that Regulation. Joint procurement of medical countermeasures is aimed at strengthening the negotiating position of participating countries, contributing to the contracting authorities’ security of supply and ensuring equitable access to medical countermeasures against serious cross-border threats to health. Joint procurement procedures should abide by high standards of transparency in relation to Union institutions, including the European Court of Auditors, and Union citizens, in accordance with the principle of transparency as referred to in Article 15 TFEU. While taking into account the protection of commercially sensitive information and the protection of essential national security interests, transparency should also be encouraged in relation to the disclosure of information related to the delivery schedule of the medical countermeasures, terms of liabilities and indemnifications and the number of manufacturing locations. A high degree of transparency should be applied in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. This includes the right of citizens to request access to documents regarding jointly procured medical countermeasures in accordance with Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. When joint procurement is deployed, in addition to cost, qualitative criteria should be considered in the award process.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-06 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.