english.prescrire.org > Topics > Advancing healthcare policy > Transparent, independent health authorities > Actions vis-à-vis regulatory agencies > Prescrire applauds the work of the European Ombudsman over the past several years (7/2017)

Advancing healthcare policy

Transparent, independent health authorities

Transparent, independent health authorities: Actions vis-à-vis regulatory agencies
Prescrire applauds the work of the European Ombudsman over the past several years (July 2017)

Paris, 28 July 2017

In its response to the public consultation on strategy "Towards 2019", Prescrire applauds the European Ombudsman's work over the past several years, particularly as regards transparency, access to documents and prevention of conflicts of interest at the level of the European Medicines Agency.

> Download a translation of Prescrire's response (pdf, 44 Ko)

Summary

For Prescrire, the European Ombudsman has played a crucial role in improving transparency and access to documents held by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The European Ombudsman has taken on several important matters over the past several years, in order to streamline the functioning of the European Union, in particular the EMA, and to foster greater transparency for the benefit of European citizens:

  • Management of conflicts of interest as regards persons working for EMA
     
  • New transparency policy at the European Medicines Agency, including access to detailed results of clinical trials of medicines
     
  • Investigation into complaints about access to documents held by EMA pertaining to clinical trials of medicines, in case of repeated refusals by EMA or unacceptable delays in responding to requests.

Prescrire encourages the European Ombudsman to carry on with this work, in keeping with the objectives and the priorities outlined in its 2019 strategy. 

©Prescrire July 2017

> Download a translation of Prescrire's response (pdf, 44 Ko)