Malta has submitted its bid to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) headquarters.

This comes following an agreement on 22 June 2017, when the Heads of the 27 Member States endorsed the procedure leading up to a decision on the relocation of the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority after the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.

Presently, the EMA has its headquarters in Canary Wharf, London, and employs 900 people from all over Europe. It was first to monitor, evaluate, and determine the safety of medical and veterinary products before they are sold in the European Single Market. A total of 20 EU Member States have also launched their bids to be host country of the EMA post-Brexit.

Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Valletta 2018 Deo Debattista, who is also responsible for the Malta Medicines Authority, said that Malta has proven an ideal host for such an Agency due to a number of different factors, primarily because of its current positive economic climate. "Malta has all the necessary resources to host such a competent and crucial Agency, from transport, to human resources, and above all, accessibility," Parliamentary Secretary Debattista said.

Minister for European Affairs and Equality Helena Dalli believes that, following the success of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU, Malta is more than capable of hosting the EMA. "Apart from resources being made available by the Government, our country promises exceptional living situations, complemented with useful facilities such as free child care and a top notch educational system for the families of the current EMA employees." 

The final vote determining the relocation of the EMA is expected to take place on the 20th November 2017 at the EU's General Affairs Council.

More information about Malta's bid for the EMA can be found on the official website:

www.ema.mt and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkc6i_WDbHw