The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published information about its assessment of the 19 member states’ bids to host the agency, which is being relocated in the wake of the UK’s decision to exit the European Union (EU). The assessment follows the recent release of a staff-retention survey regarding the relocation of the EMA, now headquartered in London.

The information provided in the documents published is composed of two different parts and is based on different methodologies.

The first part relates to the technical assessment on the proposed building(s) to house the EMA in each of 19 host-city proposals with indicated layout and facilities and the relocation plan. This assessment was requested by the European Commission and was based solely on the information provided in the host-city proposals.

The top cities in the first part that the EMA considered to meet its requirements and ensure timely operations include: Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Barcelona, Spain; Bratislava, Slovakia; Brussels, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Milan, Italy.

The second part consists of a review of information related to other criteria, including accessibility of the location (Criterion 2), existence of adequate education facilities (Criterion 3), appropriate access to the labor market, social security, and medical care (Criterion 4) and business continuity (Criterion 5).

The top cities in the second part that the EMA said meet its requirements and ensure timely operations include: Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Barcelona, Spain; Bonn, Germany; Brussels, Copenhagen, Denmark; Dublin, Ireland; Milan, Italy; and Vienna, Austria.

Source: European Medicines Agency