Cyrus Engerer to lead S&D negotiations on British-Malta medicine flow

EU has already proposed three-year breather to post-Brexit rules

Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer has been nominated negotiator for the Progressive Alliance for Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament for two derogations relating to the importation and sale of British medicines to Malta, Ireland and Cyprus.

The derogations aim to ensure that Malta, along with Ireland and Cyprus, does not suffer from a shortage of medicines as an indirect effect of Brexit - given that the countries have historically been heavily reliant on the supply of medicines produced in the United Kingdom. 

Pharmaceuticals produced in the United Kingdom can no longer be imported and sold in the European Union. 

Engerer pledged to continue working directly with his counterparts in the other political groups to find a suitable compromise benefitting all Maltese and Gozitans.

Last year the European Commission proposed a three-year reprieve from medicines import rules, to help ease the pressure on local suppliers. 

Its plan will have to be approved by the European Parliament and EU leaders within the European Council before it is implemented.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.