The Netherlands delivers new EMA head office
On 15 November the Netherlands officially delivered the new headquarters for the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Minister Bruno Bruins (Medical Care and Sport) complimented everyone involved with this special achievement. The new building was built in a very short period of time. As a result of this the EMA can largely continue its important work in the evaluation of medicines without disruption. The building is situated in the Amsterdam Zuidas.
Exactly two years after it became clear that the EMA would be moving to the Netherlands, the new building on the Amsterdam Zuidas was completed. The building was built in 18 months. The Netherlands has done its best to minimise the disruption to EMA’s important work. The new accommodation has 1300 workplaces and 19 meeting rooms. In addition, the building has been designed and built sustainably. For instance, it has a 60-metre-high green wall filled with nearly 53,000 plants. The new building will have a large conference centre where public hearings can also be held for patients and professionals. Every year the EMA brings 36,000 visitors to the Netherlands. It also contributes to the arrival of many companies in the Netherlands and a strengthening of the Dutch Life Sciences & Health (LSH) sector.
Minister Bruins: ‘It is a wonderful and important result that, as agreed, the EMA will soon be able to move into the new head office that was rapidly delivered in a very short space of time. In the interest of patients in Europe, the EMA must always be able to continue its important work of monitoring the quality and safety of medicines with as little disruption as possible. I am proud of the cooperation between the various ministries, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, the municipality of Amsterdam, building association EMA (Dura Vermeer/Heijmans) and the EMA. That has resulted in this fantastic building that is ready for the future.’
Guido Rasi, director of EMA: ‘It is an important milestone and so we want to congratulate the Dutch government for delivering an impressive building in less than 20 months. With the move to the new building, the Agency will once again be able to fully focus on its important mission for patients and animals. ‘
Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety: ‘I want to thank the Dutch government for their enormous commitment to realising this building in record time. In addition, I want to thank the EMA staff who have continued their important work in quite a turbulent period.‘
Move
The EMA and the Netherlands are using the weeks after the delivery to make the building fully operational. The EMA is currently still situated in the temporary accommodation in the Spark building in Amsterdam. The move to the new building will take place during the coming Christmas period and will be coordinated and implemented by the Netherlands. The move will be completed in January 2020. The EMA will be fully operational from the new building from 20 January onwards.
Medicines for humans and animals
The EMA is an EU agency that assesses the introduction of new medicines. Quality, safety and reliability are leading. In addition, it supervises the quality of medicines for humans and animals. That work is vitally important for millions of patients in Europe.
Source: RVO
