EU Adopts Radioisotope Strategy Targeting Supply Security and Cross-Border Transport

The European Commission has adopted a new strategic framework aimed at securing the EU’s supply of medical radioisotopes, with cross-border transport and supply-chain data among the key areas for action.

Radionuclide metrology laboratory at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Geel, Belgium. (Image: European Commission / JRC)

The European Radioisotope Valley Initiative (ERVI), adopted on 10 September 2026, sets out ten actions across five priority areas: research and innovation, investment in production, supply and demand monitoring, international partnerships, and regulatory coordination. The initiative builds on the Commission’s earlier SAMIRA action plan and forms part of broader EU efforts to reduce strategic dependencies.

Radioisotopes support 10 million nuclear medicine procedures in the EU each year, around 90% of which are diagnostic. Technetium-99m is the most widely used radioisotope for diagnostic imaging.

Medical radioisotopes cannot generally be stockpiled because their activity declines through radioactive decay, while many have short half-lives. Production and delivery therefore need to follow tightly coordinated schedules, making the supply chain particularly sensitive to disruption and placing a premium on precisely timed logistics.

Why It Matters for Supply Chain Teams

Transport is a specific focus of ERVI. The Commission plans to assess the current framework for moving medical radioisotopes between EU countries and determine where coordinated EU action may be needed. It also intends to begin a dedicated dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency on measures to support timely and smooth transport of medical radioisotopes into and out of the EU.

For products operating under exceptionally tight time constraints, developments in cross-border transport could have a direct impact on routing and lead times.

The initiative also calls for a digital platform to support monitoring and analysis of medical radioisotope supply and demand across the EU. The Commission plans to consult EU countries, industry and end users on options for collecting data covering radioisotope use, production and distribution.

On the production side, ERVI aims to reduce dependence on imported inputs, including critical stable isotopes sourced from Russia and metallic high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), for which the EU currently relies on supplies from the U.S. and Russia. The Commission plans to work with international partners, including the UK and U.S., while supporting investment in European production capacity.

Implementation will extend over several years. A funding call to support development of a strategic research and innovation agenda is planned for 2026–2027, with implementation support extending through 2028–2034. Transport coordination and international cooperation will form part of the initiative’s regulatory actions.

Source: European Commission, European Radioisotope Valley Initiative