Green light from the European Parliament to the provisional agreement reached with the EU Council to increase the powers of EMA, the European Medicines Agency. According to the agreement approved by MEPs with 655 votes in favor, 31 against and 8 abstentions, the EMA will be better equipped to monitor and mitigate shortages of medicines and vital medical devices and to address public health emergencies.
Under the agreement, two steering groups will also be created, one for the management of medicines and the other for medical devices. Ema will create and manage a European gap monitoring platform to facilitate data collection and joint action.
The agency will also engage the actors in the supply chain in a more direct way, with the advice of expert patient representatives and medical professionals. The agency will also create a web page with public information on these shortcomings and with data on clinical trials and information on medicinal products.
The Regulation, already approved by the EU Council on 10 November 2021, will come into force starting from 1 March 2022.