EU tracks progress towards 2030 clinical trial targets

20 May 2026

19 multinational clinical trials have been authorised in addition to the historical average; 40.5% of the total number of clinical trials recruit participants within 200 days

The European Commission (EC), the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) and EMA have published their first report tracking progress against the EU’s new clinical trial targets. Established in 2025, these targets aim to strengthen the European Union’s (EU) position as a leading destination for clinical research while improving patients’ timely access to innovative medicines.

Covering activity from 1 January 2026 to the end of March 2026, the report highlights early progress towards these ambitions:

• Increase in multinational trials: 19 multinational clinical trials have been authorised in addition to the historical average, bringing the EU closer to its goal of 500 extra multinational trials by the end of 2030.
• Faster recruitment timelines: currently, 40.5% of the total number of clinical trials recruit participants within 200 days from application submission. The EU target is 66% by 2030.

Preliminary data collected after March 2026 indicate a continuing positive increase across key indicators, suggesting further progress towards the EU targets. The next quarterly report will provide detailed information on these trends. This first quarterly report incorporating the new clinical trial goals has been published on the Accelerating Clinical Trials in the EU (ACT EU) initiative website.

The new clinical trial targets are aligned with the EU Biotech Act proposed by the EC. One of the key changes under this initiative is the acceleration of clinical trial authorisation processes across countries. Complementary network initiatives are also contributing to these targets. For example, FAST-EU (Facilitating and Accelerating Strategic Clinical Trials), a pilot led by HMA, gives sponsors a practical opportunity to test shorter evaluation timelines for multinational trials within the existing legal framework.

The publication of these key performance indicators marks an important step toward greater transparency and accountability in the EU clinical trials landscape. It directly responds to stakeholder calls for clearer, evidence-based insights into system performance and progress.

Moving forward, progress toward the EU clinical trials targets will be reviewed annually by the ACT EU governance, on the basis of the findings from the quarterly reports. This will ensure that the targets remain ambitious, achievable and aligned with the shared goal of making the EU a more attractive environment for high-quality clinical research.