Dive Brief:
- After months of uncertainty following the U.K.'s decision to exit the European Union, the European Commission has selected a new home for the European Medicines Agency.
- The regulatory body will move from its current location in London to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, with completion of the move set for March 30, 2019.
- Heads of state of the 27 EU member governments voted Monday at the General Affairs Council to decide the EMA's new location. The group also chose to move the European Banking Authority to Paris.
Dive Insight:
The UK's decision to exit the European Union has thrown many agencies into turmoil, including the European drug regulator.
The EMA — Europe’s equivalent to the Food and Drug Administration — has been based in London since its inception in 1995 and currently employs more than 900 people.
Nineteen cities across Europe from Copenhagen to Lille, France to Dublin competed to host the EMA. Not only would it bring more than 900 EMA jobs to the selected city, but also bring their families, business from pharmaceutical companies, as well as nearly 30,000 visitors a year.
Two final contenders were whittled down from the field, with the member states eventually choosing Amsterdam over Milan, Italy. While the vote is a big win for Amsterdam, the city will have its work cut out for it with only 16 months to transition EMA staff from London, including housing and job placement for the agency's staff and families.
"Amsterdam ticks many of our boxes," said EMA Executive Director Guido Rasi in a Nov. 20 statement. "It offers excellent connectivity and a building that can be shaped according to our needs. I am very grateful that the Member States took into account our requirements for business continuity and gave priority to the protection of public and animal health."
One of the draws of Amsterdam is its high number of English speakers, allowing for continuity for English speakers from the UK.
Amsterdam also boasts a high quality of life that will be able to support the jobs and lifestyles of the EMA staff and their families.
The EMA has previously warned the transition could be disruptive to its work. An survey showed many staffers would have considered leaving the agency some of the cities with longer odds had been chosen. Amsterdam, however, appeared to be among the more popular destinations.
"Our internal surveys have shown that a large majority of EMA staff would be willing to move with the Agency to Amsterdam. However even in this case, our activities will be impacted and we need to plan for this now to avoid the creation of gaps in knowledge and expertise," added Rasi.
The agency needs at least 462 full-time employees to operate at bare bones and even then the agencies' public health mission would be imperiled.
The EMA said earlier this month that the first order of business once a location was chosen would be administrative needs regarding the new building, including the approval of EMA's building plans by local authorities. The agency estimates it will take between 12 to 15 months for the building to be outfitted to EMA requirements.
Other requirements will be school placement for 600 children by February 2018, as well as a list of high-quality locations for housing. The new headquarters will be housed in a newly constructed high-rise dubbed the Vivaldi Building.