EU Court Rules Swedish State Monopoly on Medicines is Illegal

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Sweden's state monopoly on medicinal preparations is illegal. In Sweden, the retail sale of medicinal preparations has been entrusted to Apoteket, which is controlled by the state. The court said, "The system of selecting medicinal preparations operated by the monopoly in question, Apoteket, is liable to place at a disadvantage medicinal preparations from other member states." Sweden will now have to ensure that the Apoteket system is freed up to avoid discrimination or opened up to competition.

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