EU flags are up in EMA’s new building in Amsterdam

3 February 2020

EMA’s staff gathered today to raise the EU flags in the lobby of its new and final building in Amsterdam.

“A year ago, we lowered the flags in our London offices with a heavy heart. With this flag-raising ceremony in our new Amsterdam home, we can now close the chapter of our relocation, look to the future and finally refocus fully on our public-health mission,” said Guido Rasi, EMA’s Executive Director.

In November 2017, the EU Member States decided to relocate EMA to Amsterdam, as a result of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU. This decision kicked off a complex relocation process, carried out in close collaboration with the Dutch authorities and leading to EMA’s move to Amsterdam in March 2019. EMA operated at first from temporary premises in Amsterdam Sloterdijk. At the beginning of 2020, the Agency moved into its final, tailor-made new building, in the Zuidas area of Amsterdam.

“Moving EMA to Amsterdam has been a challenging endeavour; I would like to thank our staff members for their commitment and remarkable resilience; the Dutch authorities for their support; and the Dutch people for their warm welcome,” said Guido Rasi.

The flag-raising ceremony was also an occasion for EMA to celebrate its 25th anniversary and reflect on the success the Agency has achieved, since its creation on 26 January 1995, in bringing the best experts from around the EU together to create an efficient and robust system for the evaluation and supervision of human and veterinary medicines that serves citizens throughout the EU.