[Cyprus Times] Commission proposals for access to medicines by Cyprus and other member states after... complaints

Proposals for access to medicines in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta presented by Kyriakidou Sefkowitz Specific conditions will ensure that medicines authorised in the UK do not enter the EU Single Market

A package of proposals to ensure continued access to medicines for Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, as well as to address concerns about the supply of medicines to Cyprus, Ireland and Malta, were presented by Commission Vice-President Maros Sefkowitz and Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou at a press conference on Friday.

As the two commissioners explained, under this proposal the same medicines would continue to be accessible in Northern Ireland at the same time as in the rest of the UK, while there would be specific conditions to ensure that medicines authorised in the UK do not enter the EU Single Market.

More specifically on the case of Cyprus, the Republic of Ireland and Malta, Kyriakidou clarified that the proposals include a temporary derogation to allow them to continue to source medicines from the UK if necessary, as the Commission continues to work towards reaching a long-term and structural solution.

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The solution regarding Northern Ireland was the result of substantial talks between Mr Sefkowitz and UK negotiator David Frost.

The Commission Vice-President underlined that this solution is proof that the Northern Ireland protocol is flexible enough to work in all cases.

In her intervention, Commissioner Kyriakidou noted that the proposal is also a positive development for patients in Cyprus, Malta and Ireland, as well as those in Northern Ireland, "who had been concerned that their access to medicines could be affected by the UK's decision to leave the EU".

"Our priority has been clear from the outset that patients' access to medicines should never be compromised," Kyriakidou stressed, recalling that this is particularly important in the midst of a pandemic.</B-17

"Our proposals contain targeted changes to EU medicines legislation, as well as targeted changes to the clinical trials regulations, to ensure the continued supply of medicines from the UK in the long term," the Commissioner explained.As she explained, the proposals provide exceptional administrative flexibility to allow certain regulatory functions in respect of medicines for human use approved by the UK authorities for use in Northern Ireland to exceptionally take place on the territory of the That is, even if a new medicine authorised in the UK is not authorised in the EU, it will continue to be supplied in Northern Ireland until final approval for the single market.As regards Cyprus, Malta and the Republic of Ireland, the proposal is for a "temporary derogation so that they can continue to source medicines from the UK if necessary", Kyriakidou explained."A long-term and structural solution to the issues of access to medicines for Malta, Cyprus and Ireland is included in the ongoing comprehensive review and revision of EU medicines legislation," she continued.The extension of the grace period to ensure the supply of medicines from the UK to Northern Ireland and the three countries will be extended until the proposals put forward by the Commission are adopted by the Council and the European Parliament.Source: CNA

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