EMEA Management Board Airs Its Budgetary Concerns

At its 10th management board meeting on July 2, the European Medicines Evaluation Agency welcomed the updated rolling work program setting out the EMEA's priorities until end-1997, and the board underlined the significant contribution of national competent authorities to the success of the European registration system.

However, concern was expressed over the Agency's budgetary position for 1997 in the light of the current proposal for a European Union preliminary draft budget, indicating a reduced subsidy in 1997 of 12 million Ecu ($14.9 million), compared with the 13.75 million Ecu budget for 1996.

Cost Survey Discussed The board also discussed the preliminary findings of a detailed survey on the costs incurred by both the national competent authorities and the EMEA secretariat for evaluation activities in the centralized procedure. The survey should be completed by end-1996, and its results are expected to provide a significant contribution to the preparation by the European Commission of a proposal for modifying the Council Regulation on fees payable to the EMEA.