Engaging the new cohort of MEPs

Today is the first day of the new European Parliamentary term, and 73 MEPs from the UK will take their seats in Brussels, many for the first time. Brexit and its impact on the UK will be front and centre of all their minds, so the BIA has briefed them on the key issues for our sector.

In a briefing sent to the MEPs, we set out the background and the BIA’s position on our four key areas:

• Medicines Regulatory Partnership - participation of the UK medicines regulator, MHRA, in the European regulatory system and the European Medicines Agency to protect patients and public health in both the UK and EU.
• Research collaboration - Inclusion of the UK in EU research and development initiatives, including Horizon Europe, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), European Reference Networks (ERNs).
• Brain circulation - Ability for continued circulation of talent between UK and EU, and vice-versa, to drive innovation.
• Frictionless trade - Frictionless borders to maintain the flow of the medicines and clinical trial supplies that patients rely on.

MEPs can be valuable messengers in Brussels as the UK withdrawers from the EU. They will be speaking to their parliamentary colleagues and policy makers almost daily, so it is important that they are aware of our sector’s views and the impact that different Brexit outcomes will have on patients and the public, as well as BIA members and the UK economy. BIA members are welcome to use our briefing if they are meeting with MEPs themselves. 

The BIA will also be heading to Brussels for European Biotech Week, where we’ll be holding an event in the European Parliament to speak directly to MEPs.