EuPC, the European group of plastics converters, has launched a new sector group: MedPharmPlast Europe. Focussing on the medical and pharmaceutical sector, the group has emerged from a need identified at a conference dedicated to plastics converters in the medical devices industry and pharmaceutical packaging held in Brussels in October.

Whilst the medical market is still growing, the international competition is fierce and entry barriers are increasingly high. The good news for the plastics industry is that polymers are at the heart of most innovations in medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging.

MedPharmPlast Europe aims to facilitate the development of market opportunities and seeks to defend the competitiveness of the European companies in the international market.

The strict and rapidly evolving regulatory environment is one of the main issues identified. For example, on the 22 October 2013, the plenary of the EU Parliament voted the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on medical devices. Amongst other measures, the European Parliament proposal introduces a threshold (0.1% by weight) and establishes a delegated act procedure by which the Commission can grant authorisations for the use of substances found in concentration above 0.1% in medical devices.

EuPC would like interested parties in the Medical Devices and Pharmaceutical Packaging industries to join MedPharmPlast Europe to create a strong group to defend the interest of the industry and work on the EU regulatory specificities of plastics in the medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging markets.

EuPC has already obtained from the European Commission the right to represent plastics for medical devices through a direct participation in the European Medical Devices Expert Group.

Several companies have already expressed their interest to join the sector group. The inaugral meeting of MedPharmPlast Europe will take place on the 28 January 2014 in Brussels, Belgium.
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