(Reuters) -Europeans remain at risk of running short of medicines, including common antibiotics and other vital treatments, a European Court of Auditors report showed Wednesday.

The European Commission identified fragile supply chains and heavy reliance on Asian manufacturers, especially for essential drugs such as antibiotics and painkillers, as key causes, the ECA said.

In July, European crisis chief Hadja Lahbib said the EU aims to stockpile critical medical equipment and vaccines in case of future health crises and to create a network to improve coordination among member states.

But the ECA warned that stockpiling in some countries could worsen medical shortages elsewhere in the bloc.

Shortages peaked in 2023 and 2024, with EU countries running critically short of 136 medicines bet

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