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Finland is pleased with its campaign for the relocation of the European Medicines Agency

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Publication date 20.11.2017 19.16
Press release 171/2017

The Council of the European Union has today decided that the new seat of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be Amsterdam. The London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) must be relocated following the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Altogether 19 cities in the European Union offered to host the EMA, Helsinki among them.

“Although the EMA will not be moving to Helsinki, by joining the contest we were able to improve our Europe-wide networks in the medicines sector. Our Helsinki for EMA campaign showcased Finnish expertise in the field,” said Minister of Social Affairs and Health Pirkko Mattila.

Finland has high-ranking expertise in the health and medicines sectors. Health technology has long been our leading sector in high-technology exports, and its exports value has increased five-fold in the past two decades. The Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea) is a highly esteemed agency in the EU. It also plays an important role in the European cooperation to supervise medicines, as was highlighted in the campaign.

“We have promoted our strengths and highlighted facts about them during our campaign,” says Minister Mattila.

In its campaign the City of Helsinki asserted itself as a rising centre of health and life sciences, where the research community and the public and private sectors work closely together. There are nearly 30,000 highly educated life sciences professionals in the Greater Helsinki area.

The universities and research institutes in the Greater Helsinki area together form one of the highest-ranking medical research hubs in Europe.

“We believe that our role in the campaign for EMA will attract more foreign investments and expertise to the Helsinki area,” says Marja-Leena Rinkineva, Director of Economic Development in the City of Helsinki.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the European Union. Its successful relocation from London to Amsterdam will be of critical importance for medicines safety in Europe. Fimea will step up its engagement in the cooperation between European medicines authorities and thereby support and contribute to the successful relocation of the EMA and the upholding of medicines safety in Europe.

Inquiries

Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Director, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 382, [email protected]

Kari Synberg, Special Adviser to the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 50 574 2297, [email protected]

Marja-Leena Rinkineva, Director of Economic Development, City of Helsinki, tel. +358 50 559 9183, [email protected]