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During a health crisis, having timely access to effective medicines can be a matter of life or death. When a company does not have enough production capacity, or because it charges unaffordable prices for a patented vaccine or treatment, issuing an EU-wide compulsory license for that medicine can allow other companies to manufacture it. The biggest advantage this would procure is to give EU citizens greater access to essential medicines or medical devices. To ensure swift and effective responses during a health crisis, the process for granting a compulsory license cannot be overcomplicated or contain bottlenecks.

EU consumers frequently shop online, but when buying from non-EU sellers they are exposed to risks such as unsafe products and unfair AI systems for consumer use. The Digital Trade Agreement between the EU and Singapore seeks to enhance consumer trust and confidence in the digital marketplace by improving access to information, safety and redress mechanisms, while providing businesses with predictability and legal certainty. However, certain provisions in the deal could weaken fundamental rights to privacy and personal data protection for EU citizens. Moreover, they risk limiting the EU's ability to enforce its digital laws domestically, such as the AI Act. If left unaddressed, these shortcomings could create risks for consumers.