Heads of HTA Agencies Group (HAG) underscores importance of European collaboration and discusses top priorities
The Heads of HTA Agencies Group (HAG) met virtually on 20 February 2026, with more than 74 participants from 35 member organizations. The meeting marked the first under the HAG’s new leadership team: Chair Trygve Ottersen from the Norwegian Medical Products Agency (NOMA), and Co-Chairs Lionel Collet from the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) and Thomas Kaiser from the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).
A central objective of the General Meeting was to discuss top priorities for 2026-2027 under the recently adopted HAG Strategic Plan. In light of ongoing developments, members reaffirmed the importance of strong European collaboration in health technology assessment (HTA) and the need for the network to address shared challenges and maximize collective impact.
The year 2026 marks a significant milestone, as January represents one year since the European HTA Regulation (HTAR) became applicable. It is also the year in which the first joint clinical assessment (JCA) reports will be delivered under the HTAR framework. The meeting allowed members to reflect on progress and achievements to date, including the publication of the first annual report of the Member State Coordination Group on HTA (HTACG), and to discuss lessons learnt so far. Updates were provided by the European Commission (EC) and the HTACG on the state of play. Particular emphasis was placed on the meaningful involvement of clinicians and patients across the EU in EU HTA procedures, as well as on the strong cooperation between the HAG and the EC for the evaluation of the HTAR.
Overall, the exchange focused on promoting national implementation and utilization of JCA reports, optimizing the impact of the HTAR, and strengthening the sustainability of the system. Members also emphasized the importance of learning from each other and from early implementation experiences, and reiterated their commitment to contribute to the success of the EU HTA system.
Another key topic of discussion was European collaboration on information retrieval. Today, HTA agencies in Europe rely heavily on services such as the bibliographic database MEDLINE (PubMed) and the study registry ClinicalTrials.gov. No comparable European alternatives are freely accessible. Members agreed that it would be prudent to explore complementary or alternative solutions to strengthen European resilience in this area.
The next face-to-face HAG meeting will take place in Paphos, Cyprus, on 29 May 2026. In the meantime, the group will continue advancing work on key strategic priorities.