EU Medicines Agency: Portuguese Government chooses Oporto

  • ECO News
  • 13 July 2017

The Portuguese Government has chosen to propose Oporto for the headquarters of the EU Medicines Agency. The decision was made official on the Council of Ministers.

This Thursday, the Portuguese Government decided to chose Oporto as the Portuguese candidate to host the EU Medicines Agency (EMA), a decision which was made official on the Council of Ministers.

“We were able to ascertain that Oporto is the most adequate candidate for the European Medicines Agency“, stated Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, the minister for the Presidency and Administrative Modernization, during the press conference after the Council of Ministers.

The Executive had doubts about which city would be best candidate — Lisbon or Oporto. After having chosen Lisbon at first, the Mayor of the Northern Portuguese city Rui Moreira protested, and the Government extended the analysis’ period. After that, even António Costa, Portuguese PM, though Oporto would be a better headquarters for EMA.

Oporto will have until the end of July to formally present its application. The European Medicines Agency will leave London because of Brexit.