EU Acts On Drug Directive Breaches

The European Commission is to take Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland andPortugal to the European Court for failing to adopt national legislation implementing EU directives.

Belgium and France have failed on Directive 92/73/EEC of December 1995, which aims to avoid discrimination and distortion of competition between homeopathic drugmakers and to give patients a free choice of medicines. Germany and Ireland have not adopted Directive 93/39/EEC, which abolishes barriers to the free movement of proprietary drugs and medicines, with member states' authorization decisions being based on quality, safety and efficacy alone. Portugal's infringement concerns veterinary products.

The Commission is also to direct reasoned opinions (the second stage in infringement procedures) to Austria, for only partly implementing Directive 89/381/EEC, which lays down special provisions for blood products derived from human blood or plasma, and 91/507/EEC, which sets out special product testing requirements.