The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has joined health and consumer organisations in Brussels to voice opposition to an announcement by the new European Commission to transfer responsibility for pharmaceuticals and medical devices from the Directorate General for Health to officials responsible for industry.
This would mark a reversal of a decision taken in 2009 to place responsibility under health officials, mirroring practice in EU member states including the United Kingdom.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, RCP fellow Professor Martin Mckee and RCP principal EU advisor Paul Belcher question the change and voice concerns that health considerations will come second place to business interests in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors.
European level health and consumer groups have signed a joint open letter to EU Commission president-elect Jean-Claude Juncker calling for a reversal of the decision – signed by groups including the European Public Health Alliance (of which the RCP is a member), the European Consumers Association (BEUC) and the EU Standing Committee of Doctors (CPME).