EAEU First: In a bid to boost domestic drug manufacturers, the Russian authorities want to cut foreign competition out of public procurement

In mid-November, Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) published a draft decision that would give Russian drug manufacturers a leg up in public procurement. The proposal would ensure that drugs produced in the Eurasian Economic Union at all stages of manufacturing would be favored in public procurement auctions, automatically beating out international competition. To test drive this initiative, Minpromtorg has proposed a pilot project involving 15 drugs used to treat HIV, cancer, diabetes and tuberculosis. But NGOs warn that the proposed procurement rule could lead to shortages of vital medications. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/12/13/eaeu-first