The Netherlands puts itself forward as a candidate for future EMA location

On 17 January 2017, the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) published an official statement on its website that, following the Brexit vote, the Netherlands had submitted its candidacy as the country of choice for housing the EMA when the UK leaves the EU.

According to the statement, the Netherlands is one of the most important providers of expertise in the European network of regulatory authorities for medicinal products that is coordinated by the EMA. Bert Leufkens, chairman of the MEB explained that "[t]he MEB is very pleased that the Netherlands has submitted its candidacy for housing the EMA. Participating in the European network has a positive effect for patients in the Netherlands, and if the EMA moves its base to the Netherlands, this effect will be strengthened further."

A prior version of this post was originally published by the same author in Practical Law – Life Sciences, February 2017 Issue (Thomson Reuters).