European Parliament Still Dissatisfied With EMA's Conflict of Interest Policies
The European Parliament is still refusing to sign off on the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) 2010 budget expenditures, the latest development in a long-running fight over the agency's credibility, reports Science Magazine.
The European Parliament last refused to approve EMA's expenditures in March 2012, and demanded the agency present it with deliverables on how it planned to make improvements.
The move is more than just symbolic, as it prevents EMA's 2013 budget from being approved until the 2010 budget is discharged.
The European Parliament will reportedly revisit EMA's 2010 budget again in October, and is calling on EMA to develop "stricter and more transparent conflict of interest policies" before then, reports Science Magazine.
The agency has been hamstrung by reports of mismanagement and conflicts of interest, which have included reports of its former Executive Director, Thomas Lönngren, setting up a private consulting company while still acting as Executive Director.
The agency has made a number of efforts to strengthen its conflict of interest policies, including streamlining the process by which EMA employees declare conflicts and launching a new transparency initiative.
Read more:
Science Magazine - European Parliament Rebukes Three Regulatory Agencies
Regulatory Focus - European Parliament Refuses to Approve EMA's 2010 Spending, 2013 Budget
Regulatory Focus - EMA's Rasi Moves to Streamline Conflict of Interest Policies at EMA
Regulatory Focus - EMA Strengthens Conflict of Interest Policies