Message from the Director

As we reflect on the milestones, achievements, and challenges of the past year, it is with great pride and determination that we present the 2023 annual report of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM). In a world still marked by unprecedented health crises, geopolitical permacrises, increasing health expenditures and ever-evolving social, economic, regulatory and technological developments, the EDQM contributes to ensuring access to and availability of safe and good quality medicines and health products for the benefit of all. Throughout 2023, the EDQM continued to uphold excellence, integrity and collaboration, working tirelessly to adapt to the evolving needs of patients, health systems and regulatory frameworks.

In line with our commitment to long-term sustainability and positive impact, we made significant progress in 2023 in the development of both our Long-Term Investment Strategy towards 2030 and the Medium-Term Strategy for the period 2024-2027. These strategic frameworks will guide our actions and investments in the years to come, ensuring that the EDQM remains at the forefront of innovation and effectively keeps up with its regulatory role and its increasingly global public health mission. 

Furthermore, we are excited to unveil our new vision and mission statements, which reflect our evolving role and aspirations in the global public health landscape.

Our vision “Together for better health, for all” sets forth a bold ambition: nurturing a culture of togetherness within our organisation and with our stakeholders for the benefit of patients and consumers.

Our mission “To contribute to public health protection by engaging with an international community of experts and stakeholders” reaffirms our commitment to contribute to ensuring the availability of and access to good-quality and safe medicines and health products, from development to delivery to patients and consumers, by leveraging on the expertise and excellence of our experts and stakeholders.

In this report, we invite you to explore the achievements, initiatives and impactful collaborations that have shaped our journey over the past year.

From further advancing European Pharmacopeial standards with the introduction of monographs for novel therapies and alternative analytical procedures or advancing donor-selection criteria in the Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components, to proactively tackling medicines shortages, from enhancing expertise with the creation of new expert groups across all our policy areas to fostering international convergence and co-operation, our endeavours have been driven by a shared vision of a world where every patient and consumer can access high-quality health products without compromise. As we look ahead, we are acutely aware of the challenges that lie on the horizon. The landscape of public health is ever-changing, marked by technological innovations, geopolitical shifts and emerging health threats. Yet we are confident in our ability to navigate these challenges with resilience, agility and a firm dedication to deliver our mission and start executing our strategic objectives, focussing on responsiveness, enhancing global outreach, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, modernisation, people development and enhancing a culture of service.

In closing, I extend my sincere gratitude to the dedicated staff of the EDQM, whose unwavering passion and expertise are the driving force behind our success. I also express my appreciation to our partners, stakeholders and member states for their continued trust and collaboration. Together, let’s continue to strive for excellence in the service of public health, knowing that our collective efforts today will shape the public health landscape of tomorrow.