The European Medicines Agency proposed a centralized contract support platform and clinical trial contract templates to address persistent start-up delays across Europe. In its clinical trial highlights newsletter, the EMA described contractual negotiation as a “central challenge,” citing stakeholder feedback from industry and CRO webinars. EMA noted wide variability in current templates by country and found that none are adapted for multi-country, multi-site trials spanning several EU member states. The agency said sharing best practices and central tools could reduce friction for sponsors and sites. Industry groups including EFPIA and EUCROF supported faster site contracting processes as a factor in making Europe more attractive for clinical research.