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Distinguished speakers, delegates and colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to welcome you to this international Conference marking the 50th Anniversary of the European Pharmacopoeia and its Secretariat, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare.

The goal for the Convention adopted by the Council of Europe 50 years ago was to create a European Pharmacopoeia to guarantee that the quality of medicines produced in Europe would be the same for all citizens.

Eight pioneering countries laid the first stones of what has since become a real, united Europe in terms of quality and control of medicines and healthcare.

Ever since, national pharmacopoeias have collaborated and pooled resources to build together a European Pharmacopoeia, now in its Eighth Edition and consisting of more than 2600 analytical standards.

The Pharmacopoeia provides a Pan-European setting for States to come together to find common ground and to pool resources and expertise.

Today, the European Pharmacopoeia Commission adopts on average 200 texts every year, based on a unanimous vote of its 38 members during its sessions.

The strict requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia apply to all medicines, regardless of their origin, method of manufacture or type. This also applied to ensuring the same and unique high standards for veterinary medicines. 

The European Pharmacopoeia is today a reference well beyond our continent. 27 countries and organisations from all over the world, including the WHO, have observer status and can participate in the work of the Pharmacopoeia Commission and its more than 70 expert and working groups.

The European Pharmacopoeia is also the co-founder of the Pharmacopoeia Discussion Group, set up in 1989, with the US and Japanese pharmacopoeias, working together to reduce the costs of research and production of medicines by adopting global standards.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are many reasons to acknowledge these achievements.

Let me highlight the intensity and quality of collaboration with the European Union: an observer since the very beginning and a full party to the Convention since 1994. 

I am happy to welcome the representatives of the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency. Your presence underlines the importance of the relationship and co-operation between the Council of Europe and the EU and its agencies.

Activities such as the Biological Standardisation Programme and the development of an efficient Network of Official Medicines Control Laboratories have been undertaken thanks to this co-operation.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the European Network of Official Medicines Control Laboratories. I am pleased to see that the Network’s activities have been extended to include joint programmes for the detection of counterfeit and illegal medicines, the testing of pharmaceutical preparations produced in community and hospital pharmacies and the quality control of active pharmaceutical ingredients on the European market.

I would also like to acknowledge past and current Chairs of the European Pharmacopoeia Commission. In this capacity I am delighted to welcome here today Professor Schnaedelbach, Professor Calam, Dr Morris, Professor De Jong, and Dr Ek.

My special welcome and thanks are also extended to the Chairpersons of the steering committees and expert groups that are responsible for the smooth running of our activities.

I take pleasure in welcoming the representatives from the Pharmaceutical and the Manufacturer's Associations. Expertise from competent authorities, academia and the industry is the very foundation of our work and indispensable for defining high-quality standards in a worldwide dimension.

At this time of celebration, I would also like to pay tribute to the nearly 300 EDQM staff members. Your scientific, technical and administrative competences are essential to the success our work.

Finally, I would like to offer a special word of thanks to the city of Strasbourg which has always been very supportive in offering appropriate accommodation and facilities to the European Pharmacopoeia secretariat and experts over the last 50 years. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Protecting patients’ health by ensuring the quality, efficacy and safety of medicines, is a constant challenge. It requires keeping up-to-date on scientific and therapeutic developments and ensuring optimum use of existing therapies.

I count on all of you to overcome this challenge together.

I now have the honour to introduce the next speaker, Ms Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Thank you for your attention and wishing you a very successful Conference!