On Monday July 24th, the Italian Prime Minister Gentiloni together with the President of the Lombardy Region Maroni and the Mayor of Milan Sala, officially presented in the magnificent frame of the Enzo Jannacci Observatory, located on the 31st floor of the Pirelli Skyscraper in Milan, the City of Milan’s candidacy to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) which will be moved from London before the end of March 2019 as a result of Brexit.
Through Milan’s candidacy, Italy offers to the EU a new venue which is perfectly able to guarantee a continuity in EMA’s activities. EMA is an Agency with a great strategic importance when it comes to the safekeeping of the health of 500 million EU citizens, as it has the responsibility to authorize new medicines on the market. In particular, the immediate availability of a public building such as the Pirelli Skyscraper, easy to adapt to EMA’s needs, is surely a strong point in favour to Milan.
The decision will proceed through many fases and will be taken following a simple majority vote with progressive elimination (maximum 3 vote sessions) on the occasion of the General Affairs Council of November 20th.
Italy is sure to have a highly competitive candidate, even with a strong competition by other european cities. This candidacy has been accurately prepared during the last months by a national committee led by Prof. Enzo Moavero Milanesi, Counsellor to the Prime Minister for the location to Milan of EMA, with the participation of the Italian Ministries for Foreign Affairs, of Interiors, of Economy, of Education, of Universities and Research, of Healthcare as well as Lombardy Region and the Municipality of Milan.
