Slovakia is looking to become home to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), reads a statement from the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry released on Thursday. The EU agency, currently headquartered in London, is poised to be relocated following the United Kingdom's exit from the EU. A number of EU member states have joined the race to become the EMA's new host. According to the foreign ministry, Slovakia is aware of the interest of other countries and is watching the situation closely. Moreover, no official talks are under way at present, states the ministry, as the change in the EMA's headquarters is set to be included in an agreement hammered out between the EU and the United Kingdom. According to the European Commission's Vice-president for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič, Bratislava has what it takes to host such an institution. "A proposal of sterling quality needs to be tabled in order to convince fellow EU member states and European institutions that this particular place is just right for the headquarters of a European institution," he said. The EU has 37 decentralized agencies that help EU institutions to implement measures and adopt decisions. Slovakia is the only country in central and eastern Europe not to host any such body.
In regard to the relocation of the EMA from London, the political news site Politico writes that since many prestigious and financial resources are connected to the European drugs regulator, the bidding by EU countries to host it will be fierce. According to Politico, officials in Brussels say that from a purely practical perspective, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany have the strongest cases. This is because they have large enough facilities to host 900 EMA employees, plus the necessary infrastructure for housing and transportation.
