EMA welcomes EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

13 January 2022

Stella Kyriakides, the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, visited EMA at its headquarters in Amsterdam, on 13 January 2022. 

Commissioner Kyriakides met with EMA’s Executive Director Emer Cooke and senior management of the Agency, to discuss the work ongoing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, lessons learned and the framework for interactions with HERA, the Health Emergency Response Authority. This was followed by an all EMA staff session held virtually.

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “I am very pleased to pay a visit to the European Medicines Agency today and discuss the crucial work carried out by the dedicated team here in Amsterdam. EMA has been key in speeding up the authorisation of vaccines and therapeutics, while maintaining scientific independence, as well as high safety and quality standards. Through this work, EMA has earned the trust of our citizens, and reinforced its role as a regulator of global renown. With Omicron and in view of possible future variants, EMA’s work will be crucial in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of needed medical countermeasures. As we manage the on-going crisis, we must also prepare for future health emergencies, and a stronger EMA reinforces a coordinated EU response to ensuring the availability of medicines and medical devices. It is a central pillar of the strong European Health Union we are constructing, and a key player for a healthier, more resilient Europe.”

EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Commissioner Kyriakides in person in Amsterdam for the first time. Our close collaboration with the European Commission, in particular with Commissioner Kyriakides and her staff, remains key to enabling EMA’s independent scientific work on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. We build on these relationships and achievements, as we are preparing for the extension of our legal mandate and the Agency’s cooperation with HERA, both in this pandemic, and in the preparedness for future health emergencies. We continue to support the EU’s efforts to fight this pandemic, including in the context of the current response to Omicron.”