Health in safety

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) is playing an increasingly central role in guaranteeing the safety of the medicines we use. Founded in 1995, it operates in close cooperation with and under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry. It provides the scientific counterpart for the Commission's regulatory unit for pharmaceuticals, which supervises the Agency's operations. Now, as the EMEA celebrates its tenth birthday, it is gearing up to handle fresh challenges with the entry into force this autumn of new legislation regulating the activities of the pharmaceutical industry. Patient safety remains paramount, but the Agency is keenly aware of the competitive challenges facing drugs manufacturers and is facilitating scientific procedures.