Cyprus remains heavily reliant on imported medicines, with only around 40 per cent of authorised pharmaceutical products actually available on the island, according to a European Commission staff working document on the EU’s pharmaceutical strategy.

The same report notes that approximately 20 per cent of medicines in Cyprus are imported under Article 5 of Directive 2001/83/EC, which permits supply without marketing authorisation in cases of special medical need. 

The European Commission acknowledged these constraints and is working with Cypriot authorities — alongside Malta and Ireland — to improve access.  

Proposed measures include simplifying authorisation procedures, promoting multi-country packaging, and enabling digital product information to reduce language-related barriers. 

While smaller member countries continue to struggle with supply, the European Union overall posted a record trade surplus in pharmaceuticals last year, driven by a surge in exports. 

According to a report Eurostat released this week, exports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products from the EU rose by 13.5 per cent in 2024 compared with the previous year, reaching €313.4 billion.

Imports, meanwhile, increased by just 0.5 per cent to €119.7 billion. This resulted in a record trade surplus of €193.6 billion for the bloc. 

Germany was the largest extra-EU exporter, with €67.9 billion in sales, followed by Ireland (€56.6 billion) and Belgium (€41.4 billion).  

On the import side, Germany also topped the list with €23.0 billion, ahead of Belgium (€21.3 billion) and the Netherlands (€14.7 billion). 

The United States was the EU’s main trading partner in pharmaceuticals, accounting for 38.2 per cent of exports (€119.8 billion) and 38.3 per cent of imports (€45.9 billion).  

Switzerland followed as the second largest partner, with €51.3 billion in exports to the country and €39.1 billion in imports.  

Finally, the United Kingdom ranked third in both categories.