UK Votes to Stay in EMA
The UK Parliament on Tuesday voted 305-301 in favor of continuing the UK’s involvement with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) after the island leaves the EU.The vote means Parliament will make it a negotiating objective for the UK government to seek the UK's participation in the European medicines regulatory network, according to the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA).
In a joint statement on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry in the UK, Mike Thompson, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, and Steve Bates, chief executive of the BioIndustry Association, said:
“Parliament has sent a clear message that patients and public health should be a top priority for the Government in these negotiations. Every month, 37 million packs of medicine arrive in the UK from the EU and 45 million move the other way. Therefore, it is essential that the UK continues to participate in the EMA after Brexit, as set out in the Brexit White Paper and in the Prime Minister’s Mansion House speech.”
The Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU), an independent academic unit, also welcomed the UK’s decision, noting the government confirmed that it would make an "appropriate financial contribution" in return for participation.
British Prime Minister Theresa May in March called for the UK to remain a part of the EMA. But just last week, the EMA found gaps in drugmakers’ Brexit preparedness.
The Future Relationship Between the UK and the EU