http://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2018/1718/introductionRegulation (EU) 2018/1718 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 as regards the location of the seat of the European Medicines Agency (Text with EEA relevance)Regulation (EU) 2018/1718 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilRegulation (EU) 2018/1718 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 as regards the location of the seat of the European Medicines Agency (Text with EEA relevance)2020-12-12King's Printer of Acts of Parliamenthttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/eu-exit/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018R1718texttext/xmlen2018-11-14 Regulation (EU) 2018/1718 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 as regards the location of the seat of the European Medicines Agency (Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 and point (c) of Article 168(4) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,

After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Whereas:

(1)

In the context of the United Kingdom’s notification on 29 March 2017 of its intention to withdraw from the Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (‘TEU’), the other 27 Member States, meeting on 20 November 2017 in the margins of the Council, selected Amsterdam, the Netherlands, as the new seat of the European Medicines Agency (‘the Agency’).

(2)

Having regard to Article 50(3) TEU, the Agency should take its new seat as of 30 March 2019.

(3)

To ensure the proper functioning of the Agency in its new location, a headquarters agreement should be concluded between the Agency and the Netherlands before the Agency takes up its new seat.

(4)

It is to be welcomed that the authorities of the Netherlands are making efforts to ensure the operational effectiveness, continuity and uninterrupted functioning of the Agency during and after the relocation. Nevertheless, given the extraordinary situation, the Agency may have to temporarily focus on its core tasks and prioritise other activities according to their impact on public health and the Agency’s ability to function.

(5)

The Commission should monitor the overall relocation process of the Agency to its new seat and assist that process within the limits of its competences.

(6)

To give the Agency sufficient time to relocate, this Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency.

(7)

Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

OJ C 197, 8.6.2018, p. 71. Position of the European Parliament of 25 October 2018 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 9 November 2018. Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency (OJ L 136, 30.4.2004, p. 1).