Competition as a vehicle for the promotion and effectiveness of (global) health

Inês F. Neves, associate in the European Law and Competition team, is the author of the article "Competition as a vehicle for the promotion and effectiveness of (global) health", published in the edited volume "Global Law and Health: Globalisation, Universalisation and the Marketisation of Health in a Context of Imprediction, coordinated by Anabela Costa Leão and Rute Teixeira Pedro.

Based on Goal 3 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - to ensure access to quality health and promote well-being for all, at all ages - the article analyses the relationship between competition law and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The reflection focuses on three main questions: can competition law be a guarantee for the realisation of health? Should it remain agnostic to non-economic considerations such as equity and accessibility? And to what extent can or should it be seen as a tool for promoting and achieving (global) health?

It is argued that competition law, despite its idiosyncrasies and limited scope, has an important role to play in achieving this goal, provided that its institutional framework is designed and applied in a way that adapts, makes more flexible and reconciles competition with broader societal values and interests.

See the article in the annex below.