Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

(asked on 23rd May 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has formal associate membership with the European Medicines Agency after the UK leaves the EU.


Answered by
Jackie Doyle-Price Portrait
Jackie Doyle-Price
This question was answered on 5th June 2018

From 30 March 2019, the United Kingdom will no longer be a member of the European Union. However, under the terms of the implementation period agreement regulatory standards and market access for all medicines will continue on current terms.

Common rules will remain in place and the UK may continue to participate in EU agencies and bodies where the presence of the UK is necessary and is in the interests of the EU, or where the discussion concerns acts addressed to the UK and its citizens. The exact nature of this participation will be a matter for further discussion.

Regarding the future relationship, the Prime Minister's Mansion House speech outlined that we will explore the terms on which the UK could remain part of the European Medicines Agency. While it would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations, we will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in medicines regulation.

Our overall aim is to ensure that patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines and be assured that their safety is protected through the strongest regulatory framework and continued sharing of data.

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