Minister Bruno Bruins welcomes EMA in the Netherlands
The temporary location for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is now ready for use. This is an important step in EMA’s relocation to the Netherlands. Each year, EMA will bring 36,000 visitors to the Netherlands, and its move here will also attract many companies to the country.
Minister of Health Bruno Bruins: “It’s crucial to millions of patients in Europe that EMA be able to monitor the safety and quality of medicines unhindered”, noted the Minister. “We’re delighted to welcome EMA to the Netherlands, and to deliver this temporary home as we await the completion of the organisation’s new, custom-made building".
Executive director EMA Guido Rasi: “Today marks the first step in EMA’s new life in the Netherlands. I would like to thank the Dutch authorities who have worked hard to ensure all is ready to welcome us in Amsterdam. This will allow a smooth transition and avoid any delay in fulfilling our important public health mission”.
The Spark Building
The EMA’s temporary home, the 11-storey Spark Building, has 850 working spaces, 15,000 m2 of floor space, and an extended conference centre. It can be used while the organisation's brand new headquarters are being built. In November the Netherlands will hand over the new building, which is in Amsterdam Zuidas.
Support
EMA monitors the quality and safety of medicines for both humans and animals. In addition, it assesses new and innovative medicines as efficiently as possible for safety, efficacy and quality, so that they can enter the European market with the least possible delay, and EMA remains ready to act quickly if there are problems with a medicine. The first EMA staff members and their families are already living in the Netherlands. To get off to a smooth start in the Netherlands, employees and their families receive personalised support.
Source: Government
