Health technology assessment (HTA) in Europe has undergone a significant evolution, culminating in the adoption of the EU HTA Regulation (HTAR). This regulation will take effect in January 2025 and aims to implement sustainable and binding HTA collaboration at the EU level.
EUnetHTA 21 is the latest in an uninterrupted series of projects since 2006 to develop and test an EU-wide HTA basis. The task of the EUnetHTA21 consortium, made up of 13 European HTA agencies, was to further develop the methods and procedures for joint HTA work at the EU level, based on the results of all previous EUnetHTA projects. This resulted in a total of 22 guidelines and 19 templates, which form a basis for future collaboration in accordance with the HTA Regulation. In addition, they were tested in pilot Joint Clinical Assessments (JCAs) and Joint Scientific Consultations (JSCs).
EUnetHTA 21 marks the culmination of constructive, voluntary collaboration that has developed and significantly shaped the HTA landscape in Europe over more than two decades: Sharing knowledge, learning from each other and, not least, mutual trust are the basis for mutual understanding of similarities and differences among the various European health care systems and their HTA bodies. This foundation is essential to develop common approaches and an efficient consensus-building process for the practical implementation of the European HTA Regulation. The main objective is to improve the quality of HTA in the EU, avoid duplication of work and ultimately reduce the current inequalities in patient access to health care in the EU through safe and effective health technologies.
The results of the EUnetHTA 21 project are documented and commented on in a joint publication in the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care.