NOAH congratulates EMA on move to Amsterdam
The EMA is moving to Amsterdam following the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union.
The National Office of Animal Health has congratulated Amsterdam on its successful bid to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
In a statement, NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "We congratulate Amsterdam on its successful bid to host the EMA. Now the agency’s destination is known, we need to ensure continuity of availability of animal medicines during the move, and into the future.”
She added: “We believe it is vital that both UK and EU cooperate on animal medicines safety, regulation and supply - this is urgent.
“Good animal health is key to good welfare, and keeping animals healthy is key to public health too. Our future regulatory model and relationship with both the EU and international partners will be critical to the health of us all,” she said.
The EMA has to relocate due to the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. Amsterdam was one of 19 offers to host the Agency submitted by the Member States at the end of July 2017.
In a statement, the EMA said that it was to begin working immediately with the Dutch government to ensure successful move by end of March 2019.
Welcoming the decision, EMA executive director Guido Rasi said: “Now that we finally know where our journey is taking us, we can take concrete actions for a successful move.
“Amsterdam ticks many of our boxes. It offers excellent connectivity and a building that can be shaped according to our needs. I am very grateful that the Member States took into account our requirements for business continuity and gave priority to the protection of public and animal health.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
