The European regulatory system

for medicines
A consistent approach to medicines regulation
across the European Union

An agency of the European Union

 The European regulatory system for medicines
A consistent approach to medicines regulation across the European Union

This booklet explains how the European regulatory system for medicines operates. It
describes how medicines are authorised and monitored in the European Union (EU) and
how the European medicines regulatory network — a partnership between the European
Commission, the medicines regulatory authorities in EU Member States and the European
Economic Area (EEA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) — works to ensure that patients in the
EU have access to high-quality, effective and safe medicines.

The EU regulatory system for The centralised procedure allows the marketing of a medicine
on the basis of a single EU-wide assessment and marketing
medicines authorisation which is valid throughout the EU. Pharmaceutical
companies submit a single authorisation application to EMA.
The European medicines regulatory system is based on The Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use
a network of around 50 regulatory authorities from the (CHMP) or Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use
31 EEA countries (28 EU Member States plus Iceland, (CVMP) then carries out a scientific assessment of the application
Liechtenstein and Norway), the European Commission and EMA. and gives a recommendation to the European Commission
This network is what makes the EU regulatory system unique. on whether or not to grant a marketing authorisation. Once
granted by the European Commission, the centralised marketing
The network is supported by authorisation is valid in all EU Member States. The use of the
a pool of thousands of experts The diversity centrally authorised procedure is compulsory for most innovative
drawn from across Europe, of experts involved medicines, including medicines for rare diseases.
allowing it to source the best in the regulation of
medicines in the EU The majority of medicines authorised in the EU do not fall within the
possible scientific expertise for
encourages the exchange
the regulation of medicines in scope of the centralised procedure but
of knowledge, ideas and
the EU and to provide scientific best practice between are authorised by national competent
advice of the highest quality. scientists striving for authorities (NCAs) in the Member EMA enables
the highest standards States. one application,
EMA and the Member States for medicines’ one assessment, one
regulation. When a company wants to authorise market authorisation
cooperate and share expertise
a medicine in several Member States, for the whole of
in the assessment of new the EU.
medicines and of new safety information. They also rely on it can use one of the following
each other for exchange of information in the regulation of procedures:
medicine, for example regarding the reporting of side effects • the decentralised procedure
of medicines, the oversight of clinical trials and the conduct of where companies can apply for the simultaneous
inspections of medicines’ manufacturers and compliance with authorisation of a medicine in more than one EU Member
good clinical practice (GCP), good manufacturing practice (GMP), State if it has not yet been authorised in any EU country
good distribution practice (GDP), and good pharmacovigilance and does not fall within the scope of the centralised
practice (GVP). This works because EU legislation requires that procedure;
each Member State operates to the same rules and requirements
• the mutual-recognition procedure where companies
regarding the authorisation and monitoring of medicines.
that have a medicine authorised in one EU Member States
IT systems which connect all parties in can apply for this authorisation to be recognised in other
the network facilitate the exchange By working EU countries. This process allows Member States to rely
of information on aspects such as closely together, on each other’s scientific assessments.
safety monitoring of medicines, Member States reduce Rules and requirements applicable to pharmaceuticals in the
authorisation and supervision duplication, share the
EU are the same, irrespective of the authorisation route for a
workload and ensure
of clinical trials or compliance medicine.
the efficient and
with good manufacturing and effective regulation of
distribution practices. Transparency about how the system works
medicines across
the EU. and how it reaches its decisions is an
Different
important feature of the EU regulatory authorisation
Marketing system for medicines. routes: one set
of common
authorisations A European Public Assessment Report, rules.
or EPAR, is published for every human or
To protect public health and ensure the availability of veterinary medicine that has been granted
high quality, safe and effective medicines for European or refused a marketing authorisation following an assessment
citizens, all medicines must be authorised before they by EMA. For a medicine that is authorised by a Member State,
can be placed on the market in the EU. The European system details on the assessment of the medicine are also available in
offers different routes for such an authorisation. a Public Assessment Report.
1.
The regulation of medical devices does not fall within the scope of the European regulatory system for medicines.

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The European regulatory system for medicines
A consistent approach to medicines regulation across the European Union

Pricing and reimbursement

EMA’s scientific committees
Once a marketing authorisation has been granted, The EMA has seven scientific committees that carry out its
decisions about price and reimbursement take place scientific assessments:
at the level of each Member State considering the • Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use
potential role and use of the medicine in the context of the (CHMP)
national health system of that country.
• Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee
(PRAC)

The role of the European • Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use
(CMVP)
Commission • Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP)
• Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC)
The European Commission plays an important role in • Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT)
the regulation of medicines in the EU. On the basis of
• Paediatric Committee (PDCO)
scientific assessments carried out by EMA, it grants
or refuses, changes or suspends marketing authorisations
for medicines that have been submitted via the centralised
procedure. It can also take EU-wide action when a safety
issue has been identified for a nationally authorised product National Competent Authorities
and when harmonised regulatory measures in all MSs are
The national competent authorities (NCAs), responsible
considered necessary following assessment by EMA’s PRAC.
for the regulation of human and veterinary medicines in
The European Commission can also take action concerning
the EU, coordinate their work in a forum called Heads of
other aspects of medicine regulation:
Medicines Agencies (HMA). The heads of the NCAs work
• Right of initiative — it can propose new or amended closely with EMA and the European Commission to maximise
legislation for the pharmaceutical sector; cooperation and ensure the European medicines regulatory
• Implementation — it can adopt implementing measures network functions efficiently. The HMA meets four times per
as well as oversee the correct application of EU law on year to address key strategic issues for the network, such as
pharmaceuticals; the exchange of information, IT developments and sharing
of best practices, and to streamline mutual recognition and
• Global outreach — it ensures appropriate collaboration
decentralised procedures.
with relevant international partners and promotes the EU
regulatory system globally.

The role of EMA Guidelines and scientific advice

EMA is responsible for the scientific evaluation, EMA prepares scientific guidelines in cooperation
primarily of innovative and high-technology medicines with experts from its scientific committees and working
developed by pharmaceutical companies for use groups. These guidelines reflect the latest thinking
in the EU. EMA was established in 1995 to ensure the best on developments in biomedical science. They are available to
use of scientific resources across Europe for the evaluation, guide the development programmes of all medicine developers
supervision and pharmacovigilance of medicines. who wish to submit an application for a marketing authorisation
in the EU, and to ensure that medicines are developed
Experts participate in the work of EMA as members of its
consistently and to the highest quality.
scientific committees, working parties, scientific advisory
groups and other ad hoc advisory groups, or as members of EMA also gives product-specific scientific advice to companies
the national assessment teams that evaluate medicines. The for the development of medicines. This is an important tool to
experts are chosen on the basis of their scientific expertise help develop and make available high-quality, effective and
and many of them are made available to EMA by the NCAs safe medicines, for the benefit of patients. Scientific advice can
in Member States. Increasingly, patients and healthcare also be given by NCAs.
professionals are involved in the work of the Agency including
in the evaluation of medicines.

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The European regulatory system for medicines
A consistent approach to medicines regulation across the European Union

Authorisation and supervision of All suspected side effects that are reported by patients and
healthcare professionals must be entered into EudraVigilance,
manufacturers the EU web-based information system operated by EMA that
collects, manages and analyses reports of suspected side
Manufacturers, importers and distributors of medicines in effects of medicines. These data are continuously monitored
the EU must be licensed before they can carry out those by EMA and the Member States in order to identify any new
activities. The regulatory authorities of each Member safety information.
State are responsible for granting licences for such activities
EMA provides public access to reports of suspected side effects
taking place within their respective territories. All manufacturing
for centrally-authorised medicines in the European database
and importing licenses are entered into EudraGMDP, the publicly-
of suspected drug-reaction reports. This website allows users to
available European database operated by EMA.
view all suspected side effect reports submitted to EudraVigilance
Manufacturers listed in the application of a medicine to be
The PRAC has a broad remit covering all aspects of
marketed in the EU are inspected by an EU competent authority.
pharmacovigilance. In addition to its role in risk assessment,
This includes manufacturers located outside the EU unless a
the committee provides advice and recommendations to the
mutual recognition agreement (MRA) is in place between the
European medicines regulatory network on risk management
European Union and the country of manufacture. Inspection
planning and benefit-risk assessment for medicines after
outcomes can be accessed by all Member States and are made
marketing.
publicly available across the EU through EudraGMDP.

Equivalence between Member States’ inspectorates is ensured

and maintained in a variety of ways, including common Public hearings
legislation, common good manufacturing practice (GMP), common In addition, the EU’s pharmacovigilance legislation
procedures for inspectorates, technical support, meetings, enables the PRAC to hold public hearings during safety
trainings, and internal and external audits. reviews of medicines if deemed useful. Public hearings are
In order to be imported into the EU, an active pharmaceutical intended to support the committee’s decision-making by
ingredient needs to be accompanied by a Written Confirmation providing perspectives, knowledge and insights into the way
issued by the competent authority of the country where it is medicines are used in clinical practice.
produced, confirming that the good manufacturing practice
(GMP) applied is at least equivalent to the recognised EU GMP
standards. A waiver applies for some countries which have Clinical trials
applied to have their regulatory systems for the supervision of
manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients assessed The authorisation and oversight of a clinical trial is the
by the EU and have been found to be equivalent to the EU. responsibility of the Member State in which the trial
is taking place. The European Clinical Trials Database
Every batch of medicines must be certified as having been
(EudraCT) tracks which clinical trials have been authorised in
manufactured and tested in accordance with GMP and in
the EU. It is used by NCAs and clinical-trial sponsors to enter
conformance with the marketing authorisation before it can
information protocols and results of clinical trials. A subset of
be released onto the market in the EU. If the product is
this information is made publicly available by EMA via the EU
manufactured outside the EU and has been imported, it needs
clinical trials register.
to undergo full analytical testing in the EU, unless a mutual
recognition agreement (MRA) is in place between the EU and the
exporting country.
International cooperation
Safety monitoring of medicines The European Commission and EMA, in close
cooperation with Member States, work to forge
The European regulatory system for medicines close ties with partner organisations around the
monitors the safety of all medicines that are available world. These activities aim to foster the timely exchange of
on the European market throughout their life span. regulatory and scientific expertise and the development of best
practices in the regulatory field across the world.
EMA has a committee dedicated to the safety of medicines
for human use — the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment The European Commission and EMA work with the World
Committee, or PRAC. If there is a safety issue with a medicine Health Organization (WHO) on a range of issues, including
that is authorised in more than one Member State, the same medicines intended for markets outside the EU (medicines
regulatory action is taken across the EU and patients and reviewed under EMA’s so-called ‘Article 58 procedure’), the
healthcare professionals in all Member States are provided quality of medicines and the development of international non-
with the same guidance. proprietary names.

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The European regulatory system for medicines
A consistent approach to medicines regulation across the European Union

dedicated to harmonisation in safety, quality and efficacy as the

Supporting regulatory science outside the main criteria for approving and authorising new medicines. The
EU — the Article 58 procedure Veterinary International Conference on Harmonisation (VICH) is
the equivalent forum for veterinary medicines.
The CHMP can carry out scientific assessments and give
opinions, in cooperation with WHO, on medicines for use EMA and many NCAs are also involved in the Pharmaceutical
exclusively outside the EU. When assessing these medicines, Inspection Convention and the Pharmaceutical Inspection
the CHMP applies the same rigorous standards as for medicines Co-operation Scheme (jointly referred to as PIC/S), a close
intended for use inside the EU. Medicines eligible for this international cooperation between pharmaceutical inspection
procedure, which is derived from Article 58 of the regulation authorities in the field of GMP.
founding the Agency, are used to prevent or treat diseases
Regulatory cooperation and exchange of information
that impact global public health. This includes vaccines used
with international regulators is also assured through the
in the WHO Expanded Programme on Immunization, or for
International Pharmaceutical Regulators’ Forum (IPRF).
protection against a public health priority disease, as well
as medicines for WHO target diseases such as HIV/AIDS, A strategic forum at the level of global agencies has recently been
malaria or tuberculosis. established — the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory
Authorities (ICMRA). ICMRA is a voluntary, executive level entity
of medicines regulatory authorities worldwide providing strategic
For the EU, one of the main forums for multilateral international coordination, advocacy and leadership.
cooperation is the International Council for Harmonisation of
Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use There are also a number of bilateral cooperation agreements in
(ICH), which brings together medicines regulatory authorities place that facilitate the exchange of important information on
and pharmaceutical industry from around the world. ICH is medicines between regulators inside and outside the EU.

The European Union — key facts

Population: GDP:
>500m € 12.9tn

The EU has
Accession
developed a
to the EU means
single market through
a commitment
a standardised system of
to apply the “acquis
laws that apply to all its Member
communautaire”
States. The same rules and
(the body of EU legislation
harmonised procedures apply
and guidance) to ensure
to all the 28 Member States
that all EU Member
regarding the authorisation
States operate to the
of medicines and the
same standards.
supervision of the safety
medicines.

Medicines regulatory Official languages:

authorities: 24
50+

EU Member States: 28 The European Economic

Area (EEA) is formed of the
28 EU Member States plus:
Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland

Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxemburg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom Iceland Liechtenstein Norway

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European Medicines Agency

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The European regulatory system for medicines

A consistent approach to medicines regulation across the European Union
EMA/716925/2016

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© European Medicines Agency, 2016.

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