Italy asks CJEU to reconsider EMA move

Italy has asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to annul a decision to move the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to Amsterdam.

Earlier today, the CJEU’s press service tweeted that Italy and the City of Milan had brought actions before the CJEU and the European General Court for annulment of the decision.

The agency, which is responsible for the protection of public and animal health through the scientific evaluation and supervision of medicines, is moving from its London headquarters in light of Brexit.

Milan lost out in November last year, when the destination was decided by drawing lots.

It was reported that Amsterdam and Milan were tied at 13 votes each in the last round (Slovakia abstained), prompting Matti Maasikas, the Estonian minister chairing the meeting, to dip his hand into the fish bowl to pick one of two balls.

Amsterdam emerged as the chosen city, with plans to launch operations by March 30, 2019.

But Italian members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have fought the move. Earlier in January, LSIPR reported that Patrizia Toia and Elisabetta Gardini had questioned whether the relocation decision should be reopened.

According to the MEPs, unnamed press releases indicated that the headquarters will not be operational by March 2019 and that, at the time of the vote, the European Commission had been provided with statements from the Netherlands which committed the country to delivering permanent headquarters on time.

On Monday, January 29, EMA executive director Guido Rasi stated that the agency will occupy a building from January 1, 2019, before moving into a newly-built office in Amsterdam.

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