On 7 November 2025, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) sent its feedback to the European Commission’s public consultation on the new EU Biotech Act. The law is part of the Commission’s broader Strategy for Life Sciences and aims to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in Europe. For people with asthma, allergy, COPD and atopic eczema the point is practical: faster diagnosis, safe treatments that work and equal access across countries.
EFA welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a European Biotech Act. Clearer, faster pathways from discovery to delivery can support European competitiveness and improve health outcomes also provided that safety, transparency and equity remain central. In an earlier input to the Strategy for European Life Sciences, EFA called for a health-in-all-policies approach, especially in research. Those principles should carry through to this Act so that scientific progress reaches people in clinics, not only in journals.
EFA’s response to the consultation on the EU Biotech Act
Our response focuses on three areas: access to biotechnologies, investment in research and innovation of biotechnologies for food allergy, atopic eczema and respiratory diseases, and prevention of diseases and climate hazards through biotechnologies. We ask the Commission to recognise patient organisations as partners throughout design, evaluation and roll-out.
Access
Biologics developed through biotechnology are transforming care for allergic and respiratory diseases like asthma, COPD, and food allergies. These innovations enable personalised treatments and better diagnostics, but many patients still face barriers due to high costs, slow approvals, and unequal access. The EU Biotech Act must prioritise fair pricing, faster regulatory pathways, and support for research, especially for conditions with unmet needs, to ensure all patients benefit from these life-saving therapies.
Investment
To ensure patients benefit from biotechnology innovation, the EU must prioritise funding, research, and education. A supportive regulatory framework drives investment and progress, yet current underfunding of health programmes and basic research threatens advancement in allergy and respiratory care. The EU Biotech Act should promote patient-centred co-design, strengthen scientific education, and tackle misinformation to build a skilled, informed, and inclusive biotech ecosystem across Europe.
Prevention
Biotechnologies play a vital role in preventing allergic and respiratory diseases and managing health risks linked to climate change. From early diagnostics and personalised therapies to climate-resilient healthcare solutions, biotech innovations can reduce hospitalisations and improve patient outcomes. The EU Biotech Act should recognise the impact of environmental factors on health and support biotech-driven prevention strategies, climate-adapted care, and resilient supply chains.
Next steps for the EU Biotech Act
The Commission will review stakeholder input and publish the legislation in two steps: European Biotech Act I at the end of 2025, followed by European Biotech Act II in Q3 2026. EFA will continue engaging with DG SANTE and partners to ensure the final package delivers where it matters: safe, timely, and equitable access to innovation.
We thank EFA members for their valuable contributions to this consultation:
- Marcia Podesta, Food Allergy Italia
- Fríða Rún Þórðardóttir, Astma og ofnæmisfélag Íslands (AO)
- Gundula Koblmiller, Österreichische Lungenunion
- Anna Sobocińska, Polska Federacja Stowarzyszeń Chorych na Astmę i Choroby Alergiczne i Przewlekłe Obturacyjne Choroby Płuc
- Vildana Mujkic - AAA Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Juan Fuertes, Federación Española de Asociaciones de Pacientes Alérgicos y con Enfermedades Respiratorias (FENEAR)
- Georg Kneer, Deutsche Allergie- und Asthmabund (DAAB)
- Erika Colen, Astma en Allergie Koepel
Read EFA’s response to the consultation here
Read EFA’s response to the EU’s Strategy for Life Sciences here