Margaux Fodéré, edited by Yanis Darras 06:11, December 05, 2022

This is a subject that was at the heart of the concerns at the end of the Covid-19 crisis: the medical sovereignty of France.

Two years later, many projects have been launched but it will be necessary to wait several more years before seeing the first results of this new orientation. 

Has France caught up with its return in terms of medical sovereignty?

While the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the shortage of medicines, masks and medical equipment in France, many have called for the relaunch of the production of these essential products in the territory.

Two years later, projects exist, like the company Aptar Pharma which produces needle guards in France.

And faced with demand, it did not hesitate to strengthen the production of its factories during the various waves of Covid-19. 

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"A long time"

On the other hand, in terms of medicines, the subject is more difficult for France.

Projects have been launched, such as a paracetamol factory in Isère thanks to a Sanofi supplier.

A blood-derived drug factory is also to be set up in Arras.

"We can see that we are on a long term", explains the economist Philippe Crevel at the microphone of Europe 1.  

"The projects are spread over four to five years. For example, for the paracetamol factory, we are talking about opening around 2024, if all goes well," he says. 

French masks facing Chinese competition

As for surgical masks, French production capacity reaches 260 million models per month.

But France still imports Chinese masks, notes Christian Curel, president of the union of French mask manufacturers. 

"If we look at the public calls for tenders between the summer of 2020 and the summer of 2021, we had 97% of the calls for tenders which were allocated to Chinese masks", he regrets.

Despite the Chinese monopoly, there is no question of giving up on the Made in France mask.

Nearly 18 companies continue to manufacture them on French territory to meet demand, in particular that of public offers.