CoFoE: EMA's New Powers to Improve EU's Readiness and Coordination, Says Lexmann
Bratislava/Strasbourg, January 24 (TASR) – The stronger powers for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved by the European Parliament last Thursday (January 20) will improve the European Union’s (EU) level of preparations for health crises, reads a statement by Slovak MEP Miriam Lexmann provided by the European Parliament’s press department.
“The goal of greater powers for the agency known as the EMA is to ensure that the EU is better ready and coordinated to deal with health crises similar to those caused by COVID-19,” she said.
According to Lexmann, MEPs with their votes on Thursday “have taken another step towards building the European Health Union (EHU) aimed at strengthening public health safety in the EU”.
The Slovak MEP added that the EMA’s main role will be to monitor potential shortcomings in the supply of medicines and medical equipment in a better manner, to support the development of high-quality and safe medical products within the Union, and to manage and prepare for future health challenges effectively.
The European Commission took the first steps towards building the EHU in November 2021.
Maria Brozmanova of Slovakia’s Permanent Representation at the EU in Brussels has told TASR that the EHU’s goal is better and more effective reactions to future threats. In the interview for TASR, she emphasised the need to finalise the EHU, which is also being discussed at the ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE).
CoFoE enables citizens of individual member states to express their opinions on the future of the EU in the form of citizens’ panels. The third citizens’ panel included the strengthening of the EMA’s powers in its recommendations.
The total of four citizens’ panels will present their recommendations to the European Parliament. They will be later included in the final report to be prepared by the CoFoE Executive Board in the spring of 2022.
