EU to Stockpile Medical Supplies, Other Essential Goods in China De-risking Drive

The bloc announced measures to coordinate essential goods among member states in crisis, and to boost the production of medical tools and critical chemicals.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen poses for a press photo prior to a meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on May 20, 2025. Omar Havana/Getty Images

The European Union has unveiled plans to stockpile essential goods, including medical supplies, and to boost the European chemical industry.

The proposals followed remarks on Tuesday by President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that the bloc has to de-risk its economy and industry and reduce dependency on Chinese imports.

On Wednesday, the EU executive launched an EU Stockpiling Strategy and a Medical Countermeasures Strategy, which are aimed at ensuring that member states have access to food, water, energy, and medicines in future crises.

The 27-country bloc has not forgotten the COVID-19 pandemic when it faced a shortage of vaccines and protective masks. 

“We need a long-term strategy to make sure that essential supplies that keep society running are always available,” European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told a news conference.

Under the EU Stockpiling Strategy, a bloc-wide network will be established to allow member states to coordinate their stockpiling efforts. The bloc aims to top up what’s in short supply in the most effective way and improve the transportation of the supplies. 

“We know that some countries are stockpiling on their own, but we don’t know who has what. The first step is to exchange information,” Lahbib said.

The strategy also aims to enhance civil-military cooperation and public-private partnerships.

The Medical Countermeasures Strategy is designed to accelerate the development, production, deployment, and accessibility of medical supplies within the EU.

On Tuesday, the EU announced a separate Action Plan for the Chemicals Industry to boost the production of critical chemicals, which are crucial in sectors including defense, cleantech, and digital. 

According to the action plan, the EU’s chemical sector contributes to more than 96 percent of manufactured goods, and its global market share has halved since 2003, while competitors, including China, have emerged as major players.

As of June 30, the commission has enforced 46 measures related to chemical imports. Most of the measures “concern imports from China, likely due to a build-up of massive overcapacities,” the document says.

Addressing members of the European Parliament on Tuesday in a debate on EU–China relations, von der Leyen said the Chinese regime has restricted the EU’s access to the Chinese market while allowing subsidized Chinese goods to flood global markets.

“These realities do present a real challenge for Europe to confront. And we have started to address these challenges—whether de-risking our economy and industry, using our new toolbox of trade defense measures, or diversifying our supply chains in sectors where China holds dependencies, if not outright monopolies,” she said.

Von der Leyen said if the EU–China partnership is to move forward, there needs to be “a genuine rebalancing: fewer market distortions, less overcapacity exported from China, and fair, reciprocal access for European businesses in China.”

In June, the EU banned Chinese medical device companies from bidding on EU public contracts worth more than 5 million euros ($5.7 million), citing Beijing’s “significant and recurring legal and administrative barriers” that prevented EU suppliers from getting public procurement contracts in China.

In retaliation, Beijing imposed new restrictions on July 6, banning EU-based suppliers from government procurement contracts valued at over 45 million yuan ($6.3 million).

Reuters contributed to this report.