With the strong Danish tradition for safeguarding patient safety, an important research environment and a thriving and innovative pharmaceutical industry, Denmark has excellent preconditions for hosting the European Medicines Agency when the agency, including its 900 employees, will be relocated as a consequence of Brexit. That is the message from the Danish government which now bids to host the EMA in Copenhagen.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen says:
“I am very pleased that today, after months of preparation, we can formally announce the candidacy of Copenhagen as the new seat for the EMA. There is no doubt that the competition is tough, but I am convinced that it will be valuable to both the EMA, Denmark and the EU to place the Agency in Copenhagen.
Denmark has one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical industries, we already host the WHO’s Regional Office for Europe, and Copenhagen is a centrally located and dynamic bridge to the rest of Europe. That is why I, together with the rest of the government and the new special envoy, Lars Rebien Sørensen, in the coming months will work hard to gain support for Denmark’s candidacy.”
The EMA is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines developed by pharmaceutical companies for use in the EU. The Agency therefore plays a key role in ensuring that medicinal products are safe, effective, and of a high quality. For that reason, the Ministry of Health will also play an important role in attracting the EMA to Copenhagen in the coming months.
“It is important that we ensure optimal conditions for the EMA to fulfil its tasks, as patients in the EU need to have confidence in the medicinal products on the market. That is why the EMA should be located where there are strong traditions for focusing on patients with regard to safety, patient rights, and transparency.
In order to ensure patients in Europe access to new medicinal products, the EMA should be located where the Agency can benefit from collaboration and synergy with both public and private development of pharmaceuticals. If Denmark is chosen, we will be ready to deliver what the EMA needs and together with the City of Copenhagen ensure that proper care is taken of the employees and their families” says Minister for Health, Ellen Trane Nørby.
As part of the candidacy, the government has appointed Lars Rebien Sørensen, former CEO of Novo Nordisk, as special envoy of the government. With his in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector and large international network, Lars Rebien Sørensen will work closely with the government in the coming months to promote the Danish candidacy.
EMA, today placed in London, has almost 900 employees and coordinates the work of approving and monitoring pharmaceuticals in the EU countries. In relation to the continuous improvement of the regulation of medicines in the EU, the EMA delivers scientific counselling to the pharmaceutical industry.
EMA is expected to be relocated from London to another EU member state when the United Kingdom in the coming years will leave the European Union. It has not yet been decided when a decision of the relocation of EMA will be taken.
More about the relocation of the European Medicines Agency in Copenhagen.
@ema2cph
For more information, contact:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Press Advisor Dorte Bryde, tel.: +45 50 77 86 98
The Ministry of Health: Head of Press Relations Thomas Bille Winkel, tel.: +45 40 91 98 78
