IP/N/1/EU/U/1  
 
30 April 2013  
(13-2270)  Page: 1/67  
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English/anglais/inglés  
 
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS AND 
REGULATIONS NOTIFIED UNDER ARTICLE 63.2 
OF THE AGREEMENT 
EUROPEAN UNION1 
This document reproduces the text2 of Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use, as amended by Directive 2004/27/EC of 31 March 2 004, as notified by the European Union on 
20 March 2013 under Article 63.2 of the Agreement (see document IP/N/1/EU/1). 
 
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce 
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONSACRÉES À 
LA PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUE LLE NOTIFIÉES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
UNION EUROPÉENNE1 
Le présent document contient le texte2 de la Directive 2001/83/CE du Pa rlement européen et du Conseil 
du 6 novembre 2001 instituant un code communaut aire relatif aux médicaments à usage humain, 
modifiée par la Directive 2004/27/CE du 31 mars 2004,  notifiée par l'Union européenne le 20 mars 2013 
au titre de l'article 63:2 de l'Acco rd (voir le document IP/N/1/EU/1). 
 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio 
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA 
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD 
DEL PÁRRAFO 2 DEL ARTÍ CULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
 U NIÓN EUROPEA1 
En el presente documento se reproduce el texto2 de la Directiva 2001/83/CE  del Parlamento Europeo y 
del Consejo, de 6 de noviembre de 2001, por la que se establece un código comunitario sobre 
medicamentos para uso humano, modificada por la Directiva 2004/27/CE, de  31 de marzo de 2004, 
notificado por la Unión Europea el 20 de marzo de 2013 en virtud de lo dispuesto en el párrafo 2 del 
artículo 63 del Acuerdo (véase el documento IP/N/1/EU/1).  
                                               
1 Texts of legislative instruments related to undiscl osed information notified earlier by the European 
Communities have been circulated in the IP/N/1/EEC/U/- series of documents./Les textes des instruments législatifs relatifs aux indications géographiques notifi és antérieurement par les Communautés européennes ont 
été distribués dans la série de documents IP/N/1/EEC/U/-./Los textos de los instrumentos legislativos relativos 
a información no divulgada notificado s anteriormente por las Co munidades Europeas se han distribuido en la 
serie de documentos IP/N/1/EEC/U/-. 
2 In English only./En anglais seulement./En inglés solamente. IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
 
- 2 - 
 
  PP 3-67 - Offset (Pdf file attached) 
PP 3 à 67 - Offset (fichier Pdf joint) PP 3-67 - Offset (fichero Pdf adjunto) DIRECTIVE 2001/83/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARL IAMENT AND OF THE 
COUNCIL OF 6 NOVEMBER 2001 ON TH E COMMUNITY CODE RELATING TO 
MEDICINAL PRODUCTS FOR HUMAN USE  
Official Journal L – 311, 28/11/2004, p. 67 – 128 
as amended by  
Directive 2002/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 
setting standards of quality and safety for th e collection, testing, processing, storage and 
distribution of human blood and blood comp onents and amending Directive 2001/83/EC 
Official Journal L – 33, 08/02/2003, p. 30 – 40 
Directive 2004/24/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 31 March 2004 
amending, as regards traditional herbal me dicinal products, Directive 2001/83/EC on the 
Community code relating to medicinal products for human use 
Official Journal L – 136, 30/04/2004, p. 85 – 90 
Directive 2004/27/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 31 March 2004 
amending Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community  code relating to medicinal products for 
human use  
Official Journal L – 136, 30/04/2004, p. 34 – 57. 
This text does not contain the Annex to Di rective 2001/83/EC. The Anne x currently in force 
is laid down in Commission Directive 2003/63/EC of 25 June 2003 amending Directive 
2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Community code 
relating to medicinal products for human use ( Official Journal L 159, 27/6/2003 p. 46 - 94 ). 
DISCLAIMER: 
THIS TEXT IS AN INFORMAL CODIFICATION TO FACILITATE WORK WITH THE RELEVANT 
LEGISLATION. ONLY THE VERSIONS AS PUBLIS HED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE 
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ARE BINDING  
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE 
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Community, and in particular Article 
95 thereof, 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 3 - 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Community, and in particular Article 152(4)(a) thereof, [legal basis of Directive 
2002/98/EC ] 
 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee
1, 
 Acting in accordance with the procedure laid 
down in Article 251 of the Treaty
2, 
 
Whereas:  (1) Council Directive 65/65/EEC of 26 January 1965 on the approximation of provisions laid 
down by law, regulation or administrative action 
relating to medicinal products
3, Council 
Directive 75/318/EEC of 20 May 1975 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to analytical, pharmaco-toxicological 
and clinical standards and protocols in respect of 
the testing of proprietary medicinal products
4, 
Council Directive 75/319/EEC of 20 May 1975 on the approximation of provisions laid down by 
law, regulation or administrative action relating 
to proprietary medicinal products
5, Council 
Directive 89/342/EEC of 3 May 1989 extending 
the scope of Directives 65/65/EEC and 75/319/EEC and laying down additional provisions for immunological medicinal products consisting of vaccines, toxins or serums 
and allergens
6, Council Directive 89/343/EEC of 
3 May 1989 extending the scope of Directives 
                                                 
1 OJ C 75, 15.3.2000, p. 11. 
2 Opinion of the European Parliament of 3 July 2001 
(not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council 
Decision of 27 September 2001. 
3 OJ 22, 9.2.1965, p. 369/65. Directive as last 
amended by Directive 93/39/EEC (OJ L 214, 24.8.1993, p. 22). 
4 OJ L 147, 9.6.1975, p. 1. Directive as last amended 
by Commission Directive 1999/83/EC (OJ L 243, 15.9.1999, p. 9). 
5 OJ L 147, 9.6.1975, p. 13. Directive as last amended 
by Commission Directive 2000/38/EC (OJ L 139, 10.6.2000, p. 28). 
6 OJ L 142, 25.5.1989, p. 14. 65/65/EEC and 75/319/EEC and laying down 
additional provisions for radiopharmaceuticals7, 
Council Directive 89/381/EEC of 14 June 1989 extending the scope of Directives 65/65/EEC and 75/319/EEC on the approximation of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action relating to medicinal products and laying down special provisions for 
proprietary medicinal products derived from 
human blood or human plasma
8, Council 
Directive 92/25/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the wholesale distribution of medicinal products for human use
9, Council Directive 92/26/EEC of 31 
March 1992 concerning the classification for the supply of medicinal products for human use
10, 
Council Directive 92/27/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the labelling of medicinal products for human use and on package leaflets
11, Council Directive 
92/28/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the advertising 
of medicinal products for human use12, Council 
Directive 92/73/EEC of 22 September 1992 
widening the scope of Directives 65/65/EEC and 75/319/EEC on the approximation of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative 
action relating to medicinal products and laying 
down additional provisions on homeopathic medicinal products
13 have been frequently and 
substantially amended. In the interests of clarity and rationality, the said Directives should 
therefore be codified by assembling them in a 
single text.  (2) The essential aim of any rules governing the production, distribution and use of medicinal products must be to safeguard public health. 
 
(3) However, this objective must be attained by means which will not hinder the development of the pharmaceutical industry or trade in medicinal products within the Community. 
 
(4) Trade in medicinal products within the Community is hindered by disparities between 
                                                 
7 OJ L 142, 25.5.1989, p. 16. 
 
8 OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 44. 
9 OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, p. 1. 
10 OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, p. 5. 
11 OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, p. 8. 
12 OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, p. 13. 
13 OJ L 297, 13.10.1992, p. 8. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 4 -certain national provisions, in particular between 
provisions relating to medicinal products 
(excluding substances or combinations of 
substances which are foods, animal feeding-stuffs or toilet preparations), and such disparities directly affect the functioning of the internal market.  
(5) Such hindrances must accordingly be 
removed; whereas this entails approximation of the relevant provisions.  (6) In order to reduce the disparities which 
remain rules should be laid down on the control 
of medicinal products and the duties incumbent upon the Member States' competent authorities should be specified with a view to ensuring compliance with legal requirements.  
(7) The concepts of harmfulness and therapeutic 
efficacy can only be examined in relation to each other and have only a relative significance depending on the progress of scientific knowledge and the use for which the medicinal 
product is intended. The particulars and 
documents which must accompany an application for marketing authorization for a medicinal product demonstrate that potential risks are outweighed by the therapeutic efficacy 
of the product. 
 (8) Standards and protocols for the performance of tests and trials on medicinal products are an effective means of control of these products and hence of protecting public health and can 
facilitate the movement of these products by 
laying down uniform rules applicable to tests and trials, the compilation of dossiers and the examination of applications.  
(9) Experience has shown that it is advisable to 
stipulate more precisely the cases in which the results of toxicological and pharmacological tests or clinical trials do not have to be provided with a view to obtaining authorization for a medicinal product which is essentially similar to 
an authorized product, while ensuring that 
innovative firms are not placed at a disadvantage.  (10) However, there are reasons of public policy for not conducting repetitive tests on humans or 
animals without over-riding cause. 
 (11) The adoption of the same standards and protocols by all the Member States will enable the competent authorities to arrive at their decisions on the basis of uniform tests and by 
reference to uniform criteria and will therefore 
help to avoid differences in evaluation.  (12) With the exception of those medicinal products which are subject to the centralized 
Community authorization procedure established 
by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93 of 22 July 1993 laying down Community procedures for the authorization and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the 
Evaluation of Medicinal Products
14 a marketing 
authorization for a medicinal product granted by 
a competent authority in one Member State ought to be recognized by the competent authorities of the other Member States unless 
there are serious grounds for supposing that the 
authorization of the medicinal product concerned may present a risk to public health. In the event of a disagreement between Member States about the quality, the safety or the efficacy of a 
medicinal product, a scientific evaluation of the 
matter should be undertaken according to a Community standard, leading to a single decision on the area of disagreement binding on the Member States concerned. Whereas this decision should be adopted by a rapid procedure 
ensuring close cooperation between the 
Commission and the Member States.  (13) For this purpose, a Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products should be set up 
attached to the Euro pean Agency for the 
Evaluation of Medicinal Products established in 
the abovementioned Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93.  
                                                 
14 OJ L 214, 24.8.1993, p. 1. Regulation as amended 
by Commission Regulation (EC) No 649/98 (OJ L 88, 
24.3.1998, p. 7).  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 5 -(14) This Directive represents an important step 
towards achievement of the objective of the free 
movement of medicinal products. Further 
measures may abolish any remaining barriers to the free movement of proprietary medicinal products will be necessary in the light of experience gained, particularly in the abovementioned Committee for Proprietary 
Medicinal Products. 
 (15) In order better to protect public health and avoid any unnecessary duplication of effort during the examination of application for a 
marketing authorization for medicinal products, 
Member States should systematically prepare assessment reports in respect of each medicinal product which is authorized by them, and exchange the reports upon request. Furthermore, a Member State should be able to suspend the 
examination of an application for authorization 
to place a medicinal product on the market which is currently under active consideration in 
another Member State with a view to recognizing the decision reached by the latter 
Member State. 
 (16) Following the establishment of the internal market, specific controls to guarantee the quality of medicinal products imported from third 
countries can be waived only if appropriate 
arrangements have been made by the Community to ensure that  the necessary controls 
are carried out in the exporting country.  (17) It is necessary to adopt specific provisions 
for immunological medicinal products, 
homeopathic medicinal products, radiopharmaceuticals, and medicinal products based on human blood or human plasma.  
(18) Any rules governing radiopharmaceuticals 
must take into account the provisions of Council Directive 84/466/Euratom of 3 September 1984 laying down basic measures for the radiation protection of persons undergoing medical examination or treatment
15. Account should also 
                                                 
15 OJ L 265, 5.10.1984, p. 1. Directive repealed with 
effect from 13 May 2000 by Directive 97/43/Euratom 
(OJ L 180, 9.7.1997, p. 22).  be taken of Council Directive 80/836/Euratom of 
15 July 1980 amending the Directives laying 
down the basic safety standards for the health 
protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation
16, the 
objective of which is to prevent the exposure of workers or patients to excessive or unnecessarily high levels of ionizing radiation, and in 
particular of Article 5c thereof, which requires 
prior authorization for the addition of radioactive substances to medicinal products as well as for the importation of such medicinal products.  
(19) The Community entirely supports the 
efforts of the Council of Europe to promote voluntary unpaid blood and plasma donation to attain self-sufficiency throughout the Community in the supply of blood products, and to ensure respect for ethical principles in trade in 
therapeutic substances of human origin. 
 (20) The rules designed to guarantee the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products derived from human blood or human plasma 
must be applied in the same manner to both 
public and private establishments, and to blood and plasma imported from third countries.  (21) Having regard to the particular 
characteristics of these homeopathic medicinal 
products, such as the very low level of active principles they contain and the difficulty of applying to them the conventional statistical methods relating to clinical trials, it is desirable to provide a special, simplified registration 
procedure for those homeopathic medicinal 
products which are placed on the market without therapeutic indications in a pharmaceutical form and dosage which do not present a risk for the patient. 
 
(22) The anthroposophic medicinal products described in an official pharmacopoeia and prepared by a homeopathic method are to be 
                                                 
16 OJ L 246, 17.9.1980, p. 1. Directive as amended by 
Directive 84/467/Euratom (OJ L 265, 5.10.1984, p. 
4), repealed with effect from 13 May 2000 by 
Directive 96/29/Euratom (OJ L 314, 4.12.1996, p. 
20).  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 6 -treated, as regards registration and marketing 
authorization, in the same way as homeopathic 
medicinal products. 
(23) It is desirable in the first instance to provide users of these homeopathic medicinal products with a very clear indication of their homeopathic character and with sufficient guarantees of their quality and safety. 
 
(24) The rules relating to the manufacture, control and inspection of homeopathic medicinal products must be harmonized to permit the circulation throughout the Community of 
medicinal products which are safe and of good 
quality.  (25) The usual rules governing the authorization to market medicinal products should be applied to homeopathic medicinal products placed on the 
market with therapeutic indications or in a form 
which may present risks which must be balanced against the desired therapeutic effect. In particular, those Member States which have a homeopathic tradition should be able to apply 
particular rules for the evaluation of the results 
of tests and trials intended to establish the safety and efficacy of these medicinal products provided that they notify them to the Commission. 
 
(26) In order to facilitate the movement of medicinal products and to prevent the controls carried out in one Member State from being repeated in another, minimum requirements should be laid down for manufacture and imports 
coming from third countries and for the grant of 
the authorization relating thereto.  (27) It should be ensured that, in the Member States, the supervision and control of the 
manufacture of medicinal products is carried out 
by a person who fulfils minimum conditions of qualification.  (28) Before an authorization to market an immunological medicina l product or derived 
from human blood or human plasma can be granted, the manufacturer must demonstrate his ability to attain batch-to-batch consistency. Before an authorization to market a medicinal product derived from human blood or human plasma can be granted, the manufacturer must also demonstrate the absence of specific viral 
contamination, to the extent that the state of 
technology permits.  (29) The conditions governing the supply of medicinal products to the public should be harmonized. 
 
(30) In this connection persons moving around within the Community have the right to carry a reasonable quantity of medicinal products lawfully obtained for their personal use. It must 
also be possible for a person established in one 
Member State to receive from another Member State a reasonable quantity of medicinal products intended for his personal use.  (31) In addition, by virtue of Regulation (EC) No 
2309/93, certain medicinal products are the 
subject of a Community marketing authorization. In this context, the classification for the supply of medicinal products covered by a Community marketing authorization needs to be established. 
It is therefore important to set the criteria on the 
basis of which Community decisions will be taken.  (32) It is therefore appropriate, as an initial step, 
to harmonize the basic principles applicable to 
the classification for the supply of medicinal products in the Community or in the Member State concerned, while taking as a starting point the principles already established on this subject by the Council of Europe as well as the work of 
harmonization completed within the framework 
of the United Nations, concerning narcotic and psychotropic substances.  (33) The provisions dealing with the 
classification of medicinal products for the 
purpose of supply do not infringe the national social security arrangements for reimbursement or payment for medicinal products on prescription.  
(34) Many operations involving the wholesale 
distribution of medicinal products for human use may cover several Member States simultaneously.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 7 -(35) It is necessary to exercise control over the 
entire chain of distribution of medicinal 
products, from their manufacture or import into 
the Community through to supply to the public, so as to guarantee that such products are stored, transported and handled in suitable conditions. The requirements which must be adopted for this purpose will considerably facilitate the 
withdrawal of defective products from the 
market and allow more effective efforts against counterfeit products.  (36) Any person involved in the wholesale 
distribution of medicinal products should be in 
possession of a special authorization. Pharmacists and persons authorized to supply medicinal products to the public, and who confine themselves to this activity, should be exempt from obtaining this authorization. It is 
however necessary, in order to control the 
complete chain of distribution of medicinal products, that pharmac ists and persons 
authorized to supply medicinal products to the public keep records showing transactions in 
products received. 
 (37) Authorization must be subject to certain essential conditions and it is the responsibility of the Member State concerned to ensure that such 
conditions are met; whereas each Member State 
must recognize authorizations granted by other Member States.  (38) Certain Member States impose on wholesalers who supply medicinal products to 
pharmacists and on persons authorized to supply 
medicinal products to the public certain public service obligations. Those Member States must be able to continue to impose those obligations on wholesalers established within their territory. 
They must also be able to impose them on 
wholesalers in other Member States on condition that they do not impose any obligation more stringent than those which they impose on their own wholesalers and provided that such obligations may be regarded as warranted on 
grounds of public health protection and are 
proportionate in relation to the objective of such protection.  (39) Rules should be laid down as to how the labelling and package leaflets are to be 
presented. 
(40) The provisions governing the information supplied to users should provide a high degree of consumer protection, in order that medicinal products may be used correctly on the basis of full and comprehensible information. 
 
(41) The marketing of medicinal products whose labelling and package leaflets comply with this Directive should not be prohibited or impeded on grounds connected with the labelling or package 
leaflet. 
 (42) This Directive is without prejudice to the application of measures adopted pursuant to 
Council Directive 84/450/EEC of 10 September 1984 relating to the approximation of the laws, 
regulations and administrative provisions of the 
Member States concerning misleading advertising
17. 
 (43) All Member States have adopted further 
specific measures concerning the advertising of 
medicinal products. There are disparities between these measures. These disparities are likely to have an impact on the functioning of the internal market, since advertising disseminated 
in one Member State is likely to have effects in 
other Member States.  (44) Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative 
action in Member States concerning the pursuit 
of television broadcasting activities
18 prohibits 
the television advertising of medicinal products which are available only on medical prescription in the Member State within whose jurisdiction 
the television broadcaster is located. This 
principle should be made of general application by extending it to other media.  
                                                 
17 OJ L 250, 19.9.1984, p. 17. Directive as amended 
by Directive 97/55/EC (OJ L 290, 23.10.1997, p. 18). 
18 OJ L 298, 17.10.1989, p.  23. Directive as amended 
by Directive 97/36/EC (OJ L 202, 30.7.1997, p. 60). 
 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 8 -(45) Advertising to the general public, even of 
non-prescription medicinal products, could affect 
public health, were it to be excessive and ill-
considered. Advertising of  medicinal products to 
the general public, where it is permitted, ought therefore to satisfy certain essential criteria which ought to be defined.  
(46) Furthermore, distribution of samples free of 
charge to the general pub lic for promotional ends 
must be prohibited.  (47) The advertising of medicinal products to 
persons qualified to prescribe or supply them 
contributes to the information available to such persons. Nevertheless, this  advertising should be 
subject to strict conditions and effective monitoring, referring in particular to the work carried out within the framework of the Council 
of Europe. 
 (48) Advertising of medi cinal products should be 
subject to effective, adequate monitoring. Reference in this regard should be made to the 
monitoring mechanisms set up by Directive 
84/450/EEC.  (49) Medical sales representatives have an important role in the promotion of medicinal 
products. Therefore, certain obligations should 
be imposed upon them, in particular the obligation to supply the person visited with a summary of product characteristics.  (50) Persons qualified to prescribe medicinal 
products must be able to carry out these 
functions objectively without being influenced by direct or indirect financial inducements.  (51) It should be possible within certain 
restrictive conditions to provide samples of 
medicinal products free of charge to persons qualified to prescribe or supply them so that they can familiarize themselves with new products and acquire experience in dealing with them.  
(52) Persons qualified to prescribe or supply 
medicinal products must have access to a neutral, objective source of information about products available on the market. Whereas it is nevertheless for the Member States to take all measures necessary to this end, in the light of their own particular situation. 
 
(53) Each undertaking which manufactures or imports medicinal products should set up a mechanism to ensure that all information 
supplied about a medicinal product conforms with the approved conditions of use. 
 
(54) In order to ensure the continued safety of medicinal products in use, it is necessary to ensure that pharmacovigilance systems in the Community are continually adapted to take 
account of scientific and technical progress. 
 (55) It is necessary to take account of changes arising as a result of international harmonisation of definitions, terminology and technological developments in the field of pharmacovigilance. 
 
(56) The increasing use of electronic networks for communication of information on adverse reactions to medicinal products marketed in the Community is intended to allow competent 
authorities to share the information at the same 
time.  (57) It is the interest of the Community to ensure that the pharmacovigilance systems for centrally 
authorised medicinal products and those 
authorised by other procedures are consistent.  (58) Holders of marketing authorisations should be proactively responsible for on-going pharmacovigilance of the medicinal products 
they place on the market. 
 (59) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Directive should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 
1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the 
procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission
19. 
 (60) The Commission should be empowered to adopt any necessary changes to Annex I in order 
to take into account scientific and technical 
progress.  
                                                 
19 OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 9 -(61) This Directive should be without prejudice 
to the obligations of the Member States 
concerning the time-limits for transposition of 
the Directives set out in Annex II, Part B.  
Whereas of Directive 2002/98/EC:
 
 
(3) The quality, safety, and efficacy requirements 
of proprietary industrially-prepared medicinal 
products derived from human blood or plasma were ensured through Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating 
to medicinal products for human use. The 
specific exclusion of whole blood, plasma and blood cells of human origin from that Directive, however, has led to a situation whereby their quality and safety, in so far as they are intended for transfusion and not processed as such, are 
not subject to any binding Community 
legislation. It is essential, therefore, that whatever the intended purpose, Community provisions should ensure that blood and its components are of comparable quality and 
safety throughout the blood transfusion chain in 
all Member States, bearing in mind the freedom of movement of citizens within Community territory. The establishment of high standards of quality and safety, therefore, will help to 
reassure the public that human blood and blood 
components which are derived from donations in another Member State nonetheless meet the same requirements as those in their own country.  (4) In respect of blood or blood components as a 
starting material for the manufacture of 
proprietary medicinal products, Directive 2001/83/EC refers to measures to be taken by Member States to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, comprising the application 
of the monographs of the European 
Pharmacopoeia and the recommendations of the Council of Europe and the World Health Organisation (WHO) as regards in particular the selection and testing of blood and plasma donors. Furthermore, Member States should take 
measures to promote Community self-sufficiency 
in human blood or blood components and to encourage voluntary unpaid donations of blood and blood components.  (5) In order to ensure that there is an equivalent level of safety and quality of blood components, 
whatever their intended purpose, technical 
requirements for the collection and testing of all blood and blood components including starting materials for medicinal products should be established by this Directive. Directive 2001/ 83/EC should be amended accordingly. 
 
 Whereas of Directive 2004/24/EC:
 
 
(1) Directive 2001/83/EC requires that 
applications for authorisation to place a 
medicinal product on the market have to be accompanied by a dossier containing particulars and documents relating in particular to the results of physico-chemical, biological or microbiological tests as well as pharmacological 
and toxicological tests and clinical trials carried 
out on the product and th us proving its quality, 
safety and efficacy.  (2) Where the applicant can demonstrate by 
detailed references to published scientific 
literature that the constituent or the constituents of the medicinal product has or have a well-established medicinal use with recognised efficacy and an acceptable level of safety within 
the meaning of Directive 2001/83/EC, he/she 
should not be required to provide the results of pre-clinical tests or the results of clinical trials.  (3) A significant number of medicinal products, despite their long tradition, do not fulfil the 
requirements of a well-established medicinal use 
with recognised efficacy and an acceptable level of safety and are not eligible for a marketing authorisation. To maintain these products on the market, the Member States have enacted 
differing procedures and provisions. The 
differences that currently exist between the provisions laid down in the Member States may hinder trade in traditional medicinal products within the Community and lead to discrimination and distortion of competition between 
manufacturers of these products. They may also 
have an impact on the protection of public health since the necessary guarantees of quality, safety and efficacy are not always provided at present.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 10 -(4) Having regard to the particular 
characteristics of these medicinal products, 
especially their long tradition, it is desirable to 
provide a special, simplified registration procedure for certain traditional medicinal products. However, this simplified procedure should be used only where no marketing authorisation can be obtained pursuant to 
Directive 2001/83/EC, in particular because of a 
lack of sufficient scientific literature demonstrating a well-established medicinal use with recognised efficacy and an acceptable level of safety. It should likewise not apply to 
homeopathic medicinal products eligible for 
marketing authorisation or for registration under Directive 2001/83/EC.  (5) The long tradition of the medicinal product makes it possible to reduce the need for clinical 
trials, in so far as the efficacy of the medicinal 
product is plausible on the basis of long-standing use and experience. Pre-clinical tests do not seem necessary, where the medicinal product on the basis of the information on its 
traditional use proves not to be harmful in 
specified conditions of use. However, even a long tradition does not exclude the possibility that there may be concerns with regard to the product's safety, and therefore the competent 
authorities should be entitled to ask for all data 
necessary for assessing the safety. The quality aspect of the medicinal product is independent of its traditional use so that no derogation should be made with regard to the necessary physico-chemical, biological and microbiological tests. 
Products should comply with quality standards 
in relevant European Pharmacopoeia monographs or those in the pharmacopoeia of a Member State.  
(6) The vast majority of medicinal products with 
a sufficiently long and coherent tradition are based on herbal substances. It therefore seems appropriate to limit the scope of the simplified registration in a first step to traditional herbal medicinal products. 
 
(7) The simplified registration should be acceptable only where the herbal medicinal product may rely on a sufficiently long medicinal use in the Community. Medicinal use outside the Community should be taken into account only if the medicinal product has been used within the 
Community for a certain time. Where there is 
limited evidence of use within the Community, it is necessary to assess care fully the validity and 
relevance of use outside the Community.  (8) With the objective of further facilitating the 
registration of certain traditional herbal 
medicinal products and of further enhancing harmonisation, there should be the possibility of establishing a Community list of herbal substances that fulfil certain criteria, such as 
having been in medicinal use for a sufficiently 
long time, and hence are considered not to be harmful under normal conditions of use.  (9) Having regard to the particularities of herbal medicinal products, a Committee for Herbal 
Medicinal Products should be established within 
the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (hereinafter ‘the Agency’) set up by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93
20. The Committee should carry out tasks 
concerning the simplified registration and authorisation of medicinal  products as provided 
for in this Directive. Its tasks should relate in particular to establishing Community herbal monographs relevant for the registration as well 
as the authorisation of herbal medicinal 
products. It should be composed of experts in the field of herbal medicinal products.  (10) It is important to ensure full consistency between the new Committee and the Committee 
for Human Medicinal Products already existing 
within the Agency.  (11) In order to promote harmonisation, Member States should recognise registrations of 
traditional herbal medicinal products granted by 
another Member State based on Community herbal monographs or co nsisting of substances, 
preparations or combinations thereof contained in a list to be established. For other products, Member States should take due account of such 
registrations. 
 
                                                 
20 OJ L 214, 24.8.1993, p. 1 ; Regulation as last 
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1647/2003, p. 19. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 11 -(12) This Directive allows non-medicinal herbal 
products, fulfilling the criteria of food 
legislation, to be regulated under food 
legislation in the Community.  (13) The Commission should present a report on the application of the chapter on traditional herbal medicinal products to the European 
Parliament and to the Council including an 
assessment on the possible extension of traditional-use registration to other categories of medicinal products.  
(14) It is therefore appropriate to amend 
Directive 2001/83/EC accordingly. 
 
 
Whereas of Directive 2004/27/EC:
 
 
(1) Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for hu man use, codified and 
consolidated in a single text the texts of 
Community legislation on medicinal products for 
human use, in the interests of clarity and rationalisation.  (2) The Community legislation so far adopted 
has made a major contribution to the 
achievement of the objective of the free and safe movement of medicinal products for human use and the elimination of obstacles to trade in such products. However, in the light of the experience acquired, it has become clear that new measures 
are necessary to eliminate the remaining 
obstacles to free movement.  (3) It is therefore necessa ry to align the national 
laws, regulations and administrative provisions 
which contain differences with regard to the 
basic principles in order to promote the operation of the internal market while realising a high level of human health protection.  (4) The main purpose of any regulation on the 
manufacture and distribution of medicinal 
products for human use should be to safeguard public health. However, this objective should be achieved by means which do not hinder the development of the pharmaceutical industry or trade in medicinal products in the Community. 
 
(5) Article 71 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93 of 22 July 1993 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the 
Evaluation of Medicinal Products
21 provided 
that, within six years of its entry into force, the 
Commission was required to publish a general report on the experience acquired as a result of the operation of the marketing authorisation 
procedures laid down in that Regulation and in 
other Community legal provisions. 
 (6) In the light of the Commission's report on the experience acquired, it has proved necessary to improve the operation of the marketing 
authorisation procedures for medicinal products 
in the Community.  (7) Particularly as a result of scientific and technical progress, the definitions and scope of 
Directive 2001/83/EC should be clarified in 
order to achieve high standards for the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products for human use. In order to take account both of the emergence of new therapies and of the growing 
number of so-called ‘borderline’ products 
between the medicinal product sector and other sectors, the definition of ‘medicinal product’ should be modified so as to avoid any doubt as to the applicable legislation when a product, whilst fully falling within the definition of a 
medicinal product, may also fall within the 
definition of other regulated products. This definition should specify the type of action that the medicinal product may exert on physiological functions. This enumeration of 
actions will also make it possible to cover 
medicinal products such as gene therapy, radiopharmaceutical produc ts as well as certain 
medicinal products for topical use. Also, in view of the characteristics of pharmaceutical legislation, provision should be made for such 
                                                 
21 OJ L 214, 21.8.1993, p. 1. Regulation repealed by 
Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 (see p. 1 of this 
Official Journal).  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 12 -legislation to apply. With the same objective of 
clarifying situations, where a given product 
comes under the definition of a medicinal 
product but could also fall within the definition of other regulated products, it is necessary, in case of doubt and in order to ensure legal certainty, to state explicitly which provisions have to be complied with. Where a product 
comes clearly under the definition of other 
product categories, in particular food, food supplements, medical devices, biocides or cosmetics, this Directive should not apply. It is also appropriate to improve the consistency of 
the terminology of pharmaceutical legislation. 
 (8) Wherever it is proposed to change the scope of the centralised procedure, it should no longer be possible to opt for the mutual-recognition procedure or the decentr alised procedure in 
respect of orphan medicinal products and medicinal products which contain new active substances and for which the therapeutic indication is the treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, cancer, neurodegenerative 
disorder or diabetes. Four years after the date of 
entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, it should no longer be possible to opt for the mutual-recognition procedure or the decentralised procedure in respect of medicinal 
products which contain new active substances 
and for which the therapeutic indication is the treatment of auto-immune diseases and other immune dysfunctions and viral diseases.  (9) On the other hand, in the case of generic 
medicinal products of which the reference 
medicinal product has been granted a marketing authorisation under the centralised procedure, applicants seeking marketing authorisation should be able to choose either of the two 
procedures, on certain conditions. Similarly, the 
mutual-recognition or decentralised procedure should be available as an option for medicinal products which represent a therapeutic innovation or which are of benefit to society or to patients. 
 
(10) In order to increase availability of medicinal products, in pa rticular on smaller 
markets, it should, in cases where an applicant does not apply for an authorisation for a medicinal product in the context of the mutual-recognition procedure in a given Member State, 
be possible for that Member State, for justified 
public health reasons, to authorise the placing on the market of the medicinal product.  (11) Evaluation of the operation of marketing authorisation procedures has revealed the need 
to revise, in particular, the mutual-recognition 
procedure in order to improve the opportunities for cooperation between Member States. This cooperation process should be formalised by setting up a coordination group for this 
procedure and by defining its operation so as to 
settle disagreements within the framework of a revised decentralised procedure.  (12) With regard to referrals, the experience acquired reveals the need for an appropriate 
procedure, particularly in the case of referrals 
relating to an entire therapeutic class or to all medicinal products containing the same active substance.  
(13) There is a need to provide for the ethical 
requirements of Directive 2001/20/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 4 April 2001 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the 
Member States relating to the implementation of 
good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use
22 to 
apply to all medicinal products authorised within the Community. In particular, with respect to clinical trials conducted outside the 
Community on medicinal products destined to be 
authorised within the Community, it should be verified, at the time of the evaluation of the application for authorisation, that these trials were conducted in accordance with the 
principles of good clinical practice and the 
ethical requirements equivalent to the provisions of that Directive.  (14) Since generic medicines account for a major part of the market in medicinal products, 
their access to the Commu nity market should be 
facilitated in the light of the experience 
acquired. Furthermore, the period for protection 
                                                 
22 OJ L 121, 1.5.2001, p. 34. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 13 -of data relating to pre-clinical tests and clinical 
trials should be harmonised. 
 
(15) Biological medicinal products similar to a reference medicinal product do not usually meet all the conditions to be considered as a generic medicinal product mainly due to manufacturing process characteristics, raw materials used, 
molecular characteristics and therapeutic modes 
of action. When a biological medicinal product does not meet all the conditions to be considered as a generic medicinal product, the results of appropriate tests should be provided in order to 
fulfil the requirements related to safety (pre-
clinical tests) or to efficacy (clinical tests) or to both.  (16) The criteria of quality, safety and efficacy should enable the risk-benefit balance of all 
medicinal products to be assessed both when 
they are placed on the market and at any other time the competent authority deems this appropriate. In this connection, it is necessary to harmonise and adapt the criteria for refusal, 
suspension and revocation of marketing 
authorisations.  (17) A marketing authorisation should be renewed once five years after the granting of the 
marketing authorisation. Thereafter, the 
marketing authorisation should normally be of unlimited validity. Furthermore, any authorisation not used for three consecutive years, that is to say one which has not led to the placing on the market of a medicinal product in 
the Member States concerned during that period, 
should be considered invalid, in order, in particular, to avoid the administrative burden of maintaining such authorisations. However, exemptions from this rule should be granted 
when these are justified on public health 
grounds.  (18) The environmental impact should be assessed and, on a case-by-case basis, specific arrangements to limit it should be envisaged. In 
any event this impact should not constitute a 
criterion for refusal of a marketing authorisation.  (19) The quality of medicinal products for human use manufactured or available in the 
Community should be guaranteed by requiring 
that the active substances used in their composition comply with the principles of good manufacturing practice in relation to those medicinal products. It has proved necessary to reinforce the Community provisions on 
inspections and to compile a Community register 
of the results of those inspections.  (20) Pharmacovigilance and, more generally, market surveillance and sanctions in the event of 
failure to comply with the provisions should be 
stepped up. In the field of pharmacovigilance, account should be taken of the facilities offered by new information technologies to improve exchanges between Member States.  
(21) As part of the proper use of medicinal 
products, the rules on packaging should be adapted to take account of the experience acquired.  
(22) The measures necessary for the 
implementation of this Directive should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing 
powers conferred on the Commission
23. 
 
(23) Directive 2001/83/EC should be amended accordingly, 
 
 
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
  
TITLE 1 
 
DEFINITIONS 
 
Article 1 
 For the purposes of this Directive, the following 
terms shall bear the following meanings: 
 
1. (point deleted)  
                                                 
23 OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 14 -2. Medicinal product:   
   
   (a) Any substance or combination of 
substances presented as having properties for treating or preventing disease in human beings; or     (b) Any substance or combination of 
substances which may be used in or administered 
to human beings either with a view to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action, or to making a medical 
diagnosis. 
 3. Substance: 
 
Any matter irrespective of origin which may be: 
 
- human, e.g. 
human blood and human blood products; 
 
- animal, e.g. 
micro-organisms, whole animals, parts 
of organs, animal secretions, toxins, 
extracts, blood products;  
- vegetable, e.g. 
micro-organisms, plants, parts of plants, 
vegetable secretions, extracts; 
 
- chemical, e.g. 
elements, naturally occurring chemical materials and chemical products obtained by chemical change or 
synthesis. 
 
4. Immunological medicinal product: 
 
Any medicinal product consisting of vaccines, toxins, serums or allergen products: 
 (a) vaccines, toxins and serums shall cover in particular:  
(i) agents used to produce active 
immunity, such as cholera vaccine, 
BCG, polio vaccines, smallpox vaccine;  (ii) agents used to diagnose the state of immunity, including in particular tuberculin and tuberculin PPD, toxins for the Schick and Dick Tests, brucellin; 
 
(iii) agents used to produce passive immunity, such as diphtheria antitoxin, anti-smallpox globulin, antilymphocytic globulin;  
(b) ‘allergen product’ shall mean any medicinal product which is intended to identify or induce a specific acquired alteration in the immunological response to an allergizing agent.  
 
5. Homeopathic medicinal product: 
 
Any medicinal product prepared from substances 
called homeopathic stocks in accordance with a homeopathic manufacturing procedure described 
by the European Pharmacopoeia or, in the 
absence thereof, by the pharmacopoeias currently used officially in the Member States. A homeopathic medicinal product may contain a number of principles. 
 
6. Radiopharmaceutical: 
 Any medicinal product which, when ready for use, contains one or more radionuclides 
(radioactive isotopes) included for a medicinal 
purpose.  7. Radionuclide generator: 
 Any system incorporating a fixed parent 
radionuclide from which is produced a daughter 
radionuclide which is to be obtained by elution or by any other method and used in a radiopharmaceutical.  
8. Kit  
 
Any preparation to be reconstituted or combined with radionuclides in the final radiopharmaceutical, usually prior to its administration. 
 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 15 -9. Radionuclide precursor: 
 
Any other radionuclide produced for the radio-
labelling of another substance prior to administration.  10. Medicinal products derived from human 
blood or human plasma: 
 Medicinal products based  on blood constituents 
which are prepared industrially by public or 
private establishments, such medicinal products including, in particular, albumin, coagulating 
factors and immunoglobulins of human origin. 
 11. Adverse reaction: 
 
A response to a medicinal product which is 
noxious and unintended and which occurs at 
doses normally used in man for the prophylaxis, 
diagnosis or therapy of disease or for the restoration, correction or modification of physiological function.  
12. Serious adverse reaction: 
 An adverse reaction which results in death, is 
life-threatening, requires inpatient hospitalisation or prolongation of existing hospitalisation, 
results in persistent or significant disability or 
incapacity, or is a congenital anomaly/birth defect.  13. Unexpected adverse reaction: 
 
An adverse reaction, the nature, severity or 
outcome of which is not consistent with the summary of product characteristics.  14. Periodic safety update reports: 
 The periodical reports containing the records referred to in Article 104.  15. Post-authorisation safety study:  
 
A pharmacoepidemiological study or a clinical 
trial carried out in accordance with the terms of the marketing authorisation, conducted with the aim of identifying or quantifying a safety hazard relating to an authorised medicinal product.  16. Abuse of medicinal products: 
 Persistent or sporadic, intentional excessive use of medicinal products which is accompanied by harmful physical or psychological effects.   17. Wholesale distribution of medicinal 
products:  
All activities consisting of  procuring, holding, 
supplying or exporting medicinal products, apart 
from supplying medicinal products to the public. 
Such activities are carried out with 
manufacturers or their depositories, importers, other wholesale distributors or with pharmacists and persons authorized or entitled to supply medicinal products to the public in the Member State concerned.  
 
18. Public service obligation: 
 The obligation placed on wholesalers to guarantee permanently an adequate range of 
medicinal products to meet the requirements of a 
specific geographical area and to deliver the supplies requested within a very short time over the whole of the area in question.  
18a. Representative of the marketing 
authorisation holder: 
 
The person, commonly known as local 
representative, designated by the marketing authorisation holder to represent him in the 
Member State concerned. 
 19. Medicinal Prescription: 
 Any medicinal prescription issued by a 
professional person qualified to do so. 
 20. Name of the medicinal product: 
 
The name, which may be either an invented 
name not liable to confusion with the common 
name, or a common or scientific name 
accompanied by a trade mark or the name of the marketing authorisation holder.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 16 -21. Common name: 
 
The international non-proprietary name 
recommended by the World Health Organization, or, if one does not exist, the usual common name.  22. Strength of the medicinal product: 
 The content of the active substances expressed quantitatively per dosage unit, per unit of volume or weight according to the dosage form.  
23. Immediate packaging: 
 The container or other form of packaging 
immediately in contact with the medicinal product.  
24. Outer packaging: 
 The packaging into which is placed the 
immediate packaging.  
25. Labelling: 
 Information on the immediate or outer 
packaging.  
26. Package leaflet: 
 A leaflet containing information for the user 
which accompanies the medicinal product.  27. Agency: 
 
The European Medicines Agency established by 
Regulation (EC) No 726/2004
24. 
 28. Risks related to use of the medicinal product: 
 
-  any risk relating to the quality, safety or 
efficacy of the medicinal product as 
regards patients' health or public health; 
 -  any risk of undesirable effects on the 
environment.  
                                                 
24 OJ L 136, 30.4.2004, p. 1. 28a. Risk-benefit balance: 
 
An evaluation of the positive therapeutic effects 
of the medicinal product in relation to the risks as defined in point 28, first indent.  29. Traditional herbal medicinal product: 
 
A herbal medicinal product that fulfils the 
conditions laid down in Article 16a(1).  30. Herbal medicinal product: 
 
Any medicinal product, exclusively containing 
as active ingredients one or more herbal substances or one or more herbal preparations, or one or more such herbal substances in combination with one or more such herbal preparations. 
 
31. Herbal substances: 
 
All mainly whole, fragmented or cut plants, plant 
parts, algae, fungi, lichen in an unprocessed, 
usually dried, form, but sometimes fresh. Certain 
exudates that have not been subjected to a specific treatment are also considered to be herbal substances. Herbal substances are precisely defined by the plant part used and the 
botanical name according to the binomial system 
(genus, species, variety and author).  32. Herbal preparations: 
 Preparations obtained by subjecting herbal 
substances to treatments such as extraction, 
distillation, expression, fractionation, purification, concentration or fermentation. These include comminuted or powdered herbal substances, tinctures, ex tracts, essential oils, 
expressed juices and processed exudates.   
TITLE II 
 
SCOPE
 
 
Article 2 
 
1. This Directive shall apply to medicinal 
products for human use intended to be placed on 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 17 -the market in Member States and either prepared 
industrially or manufactured by a method 
involving an industrial process. 
 2. In cases of doubt, where, taking into account all its characteristics, a product may fall within the definition of a “medicinal product” and within the definition of a product covered by 
other Community legislation the provisions of 
this Directive shall apply.  3. Notwithstanding paragr aph 1 and Article 3(4), 
Title IV of this Directive shall apply to 
medicinal products intended only for export and 
to intermediate products.  
Article 3 
 This Directive shall not apply to: 
 
1. Any medicinal product prepared in a pharmacy in accordance with a medical prescription for an individual patient (commonly known as the magistral formula). 
 
2. Any medicinal product which is prepared in a pharmacy in accordance with the prescriptions of a pharmacopoeia and is intended to be supplied directly to the patients served by the pharmacy in 
question (commonly known as the officinal 
formula).  3. Medicinal products intended for research and development trials, but without prejudice to the provisions of Directive 2001/20/EC of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 4 
April 2001 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical 
trials on medicinal products for human use
25. 
 
4. Intermediate products intended for further processing by an authorized manufacturer.  5. Any radionuclides in the form of sealed 
sources. 
 
                                                 
25 OJ L 121, 1.5.2001, p. 34. 6. Whole blood, plasma or blood cells of human origin, except for plasma which is prepared by a 
method involving an industrial process. 
 
Article 4 
 1. Nothing in this Directive shall in any way derogate from the Community rules for the 
radiation protection of persons undergoing 
medical examination or treatment, or from the 
Community rules laying down the basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and workers against the dangers of 
ionizing radiation. 
 2. This Directive shall be without prejudice to Council Decision 86/346/EEC of 25 June 1986 accepting on behalf of the Community the European Agreement on the Exchange of 
Therapeutic Substances of Human Origin
26. 
 
3. The provisions of this Directive shall not affect the powers of the Member States' authorities either as regards the setting of prices 
for medicinal products or their inclusion in the 
scope of national health insurance schemes, on the basis of health, economic and social conditions.  
4. This Directive shall not affect the application 
of national legislation prohibiting or restricting the sale, supply or use of medicinal products as contraceptives or abortifacients. The Member States shall communicate the national legislation concerned to the Commission. 
 
Article 5 
 
1. A Member State may, in accordance with 
legislation in force and to fulfil special needs, 
exclude from the provisions of this Directive 
medicinal products supplied in response to a bona fide unsolicited order, formulated in accordance with the specifications of an authorised health-care professional and for use by an individual patient under his direct personal 
responsibility. 
 
                                                 
26 OJ L 207, 30.7.1986, p. 1. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 18 -2. Member States may temporarily authorise the 
distribution of an unauthorised medicinal 
product in response to the suspected or 
confirmed spread of pathogenic agents, toxins, chemical agents or nuclear radiation any of which could cause harm.  3. Without prejudice to paragraph 1, Member 
States shall lay down provisions in order to 
ensure that marketing authorisation holders, manufacturers and health professionals are not subject to civil or administrative liability for any consequences resulting from the use of a 
medicinal product otherwise than for the 
authorised indications or from the use of an unauthorised medicinal product, when such use is recommended or required by a competent authority in response to the suspected or confirmed spread of pathogenic agents, toxins, 
chemical agents or nuclear radiation any of 
which could cause harm. Such provisions shall apply whether or not national or Community authorisation has been granted.  
4. Liability for defective products, as provided 
for by Council Directive 85/374/EEC of 25 July 1985 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States, concerning liability for defective 
products
27, shall not be affected by paragraph 3. 
 
 
TITLE III 
 
PLACING ON THE MARKET 
 
CHAPTER 1 
 
Marketing authorisation 
 
Article 6 
 1. No medicinal product may be placed on the market of a Member State unless a marketing authorization has been is sued by the competent 
authorities of that Member State in accordance 
                                                 
27 OJ L 210, 7.8.1985, p. 29. Directive as last 
amended by Directive 1999/34/EC of the European 
Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 141, 4.6.1999, p. 20). with this Directive or an  authorization has been 
granted in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 
2309/93. 
 When a medicinal product has been granted an initial marketing authorisation in accordance with the first subparagraph, any additional strengths, pharmaceutical forms, administration 
routes, presentations, as well as any variations 
and extensions shall also be granted an authorisation in accordance with the first subparagraph or be included in the initial marketing authorisation. All these marketing 
authorisations shall be considered as belonging 
to the same global marketing authorisation, in particular for the purpose of the application of Article 10(1).  1a. The marketing authorisation holder shall be 
responsible for marketing the medicinal product. 
The designation of a representative shall not relieve the marketing authorisation holder of his legal responsibility.  
2. The authorisation referred to in paragraph 1 
shall also be required for radionuclide generators, kits, radionuclide precursor radiopharmaceuticals and industrially prepared radiopharmaceuticals. 
 
Article 7 
 
A marketing authorization shall not be required for a radiopharmaceutical prepared at the time of use by a person or by an establishment 
authorized, according to national legislation, to 
use such medicinal products in an approved health care establishment exclusively from authorized radionuclide generators, kits or radionuclide precursors in accordance with the 
manufacturer's instructions.  
 
Article 8 
 
1. In order to obtain an authorization to place a medicinal product on the market regardless of 
the procedure established by Regulation (EEC) 
No 2309/93, an application shall be made to the competent authority of the Member State concerned.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 19 -2. A marketing authorization may only be 
granted to an applicant established in the 
Community. 
 3. The application shall be accompanied by the following particulars and documents, submitted in accordance with Annex I:  
(a) Name or corporate name and permanent address of the applicant and, where applicable, of the manufacturer. 
   (b) Name of the medicinal product. 
 
(c) Qualitative and quantitative 
particulars of all the constituents of the medicinal product, including the reference to its international non-proprietary name (INN) recommended 
by the WHO, where an INN for the 
medicinal product exists, or a reference to the relevant chemical name.   (ca) Evaluation of the potential 
environmental risks posed by the 
medicinal product. This impact shall be assessed and, on a case-by-case basis, specific arrangements to limit it shall be envisaged.  
 
(d) Description of the manufacturing method.  (e) Therapeutic indications, contra-indications and adverse reactions. 
 
(f) Posology, pharmaceutical form, method and route of administration and expected shelf life.   
(g) Reasons for any precautionary and 
safety measures to be taken for the storage of the medicinal product, its administration to patients and for the disposal of waste products, together with an indication of potential risks presented 
by the medicinal product for the 
environment.  (h) Description of the control methods employed by the manufacturer.  (i) Results of:  
 
- pharmaceutical (physico-chemical, biological or microbiological) tests,  - pre-clinical (toxicological and pharmacological) tests, 
 
- clinical trials.  (ia) A detailed description of the pharmacovigilance and, where 
appropriate, of the risk-management 
system which the applicant will introduce.  (ib) A statement to the effect that clinical trials carried out outside the European 
Union meets the ethical requirements of 
Directive 2001/20/EC.    (j) A summary, in accordance with Article 11, of the product characteristics, 
a mock-up of the outer packaging, 
containing the details provided for in Article 54, and of the immediate packaging of the medicinal product, containing the details provided for in 
Article 55, together with a package 
leaflet in accordance with Article 59.  (k) A document showing that the manufacturer is authorised in his own country to produce medicinal products. 
 
(l) Copies of any authorisation obtained in another Member State or in a third country to place the medicinal product on the market, together with a list of 
those Member States in which an 
application for authorisation submitted in accordance with this Directive is under examination. Copies of the summary of the product characteristics proposed by the applicant in accordance 
with Article 11 or approved by the 
competent authorities of the Member State in accordance with Article 21. Copies of the package leaflet proposed in accordance with Article 59 or 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 20 -approved by the competent authorities of 
the Member State in accordance with 
Article 61. Details of any decision to 
refuse authorization, whether in the Community or in a third country, and the reasons for such a decision.  This information shall be updated on a 
regular basis.  
 (m) A copy of any designation of the medicinal product as an orphan medicinal product under Regulation 
(EC) No 141/2000 of the European 
Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1999 on orphan medicinal products
28, accompanied by a copy of 
the relevant Agency opinion.  
(n) Proof that the applicant has the 
services of a qualified person responsible for pharmacovigilance and has the necessary means for the notification of any adverse reaction 
suspected of occurring either in the 
Community or in a third country. 
 The documents and info rmation concerning the 
results of the pharmaceutical and pre-clinical 
tests and the clinical trials referred to in point (i) 
of the first subparagraph shall be accompanied by detailed summaries in accordance with Article 12.   
Article 9 
 In addition to the requirements set out in Articles 8 and 10(1), an application for authorization to market a radionuclide generator shall also contain the following information and 
particulars: 
 - a general description of the system together with a detailed description of the components of the system which may affect the composition or quality of the daughter nucleid preparation, 
 
- qualitative and quantitative particulars of the eluate or the sublimate. 
                                                 
28 OJ L 18, 22.1.2000, p. 1.  
Article 10  
 1. By way of derogation fr om Article 8(3)(i), and 
without prejudice to the law relating to the protection of industrial and commercial property, the applicant shall not be required to provide the results of pre-clinical tests and of clinical trials if 
he can demonstrate that the medicinal product is 
a generic of a reference medicinal product which is or has been authorised under Article 6 for not less than eight years in a Member State or in the Community. 
 
A generic medicinal product authorised pursuant to this provision shall not be placed on the market until ten years have elapsed from the initial authorisation of the reference product.  
The first subparagraph shall also apply if the 
reference medicinal product was not authorised in the Member State in which the application for the generic medicinal product is submitted. In this case, the applicant shall indicate in the 
application form the name of the Member State 
in which the reference medicinal product is or has been authorised. At the request of the competent authority of the Member State in which the application is submitted, the 
competent authority of the other Member State 
shall transmit within a period of one month, a confirmation that the reference medicinal 
product is or has been authorised together with the full composition of the reference product and if necessary other relevant documentation. 
 
The ten-year period referred to in the second subparagraph shall be extended to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the marketing authorisation 
holder obtains an authorisation for one or more 
new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorisation, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies.  
2. For the purposes of this Article: 
 (a) “reference medicinal product” shall mean a medicinal product authorised under Article 6, in accordance with the provisions of Article 8; 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 21 - 
(b) “generic medicinal product” shall mean a 
medicinal product which has the same 
qualitative and quantitative composition in active substances and the same pharmaceutical form as the reference medicina l product, and whose 
bioequivalence with the reference medicinal product has been demonstrated by appropriate 
bioavailability studies. The different salts, esters, 
ethers, isomers, mixtures of isomers, complexes or derivatives of an active substance shall be considered to be the same active substance, unless they differ significantly in properties with 
regard to safety and/or efficacy. In such cases, 
additional information providing proof of the safety and/or efficacy of the various salts, esters, or derivatives of an authorised active substance must be supplied by the applicant. The various immediate-release oral pharmaceutical forms 
shall be considered to be one and the same 
pharmaceutical form. Bioavailability studies need not be required of the applicant if he can demonstrate that the generic medicinal product meets the relevant criteria as defined in the 
appropriate detailed guidelines. 
 3. In cases where the medicinal product does not fall within the definition of a generic medicinal product as provided in paragraph 2(b) or where 
the bioequivalence cannot be demonstrated 
through bioavailability studies or in case of changes in the active s ubstance(s), therapeutic 
indications, strength, pharmaceutical form or route of administration, vis-à-vis the reference medicinal product, the results of the appropriate 
pre-clinical tests or clinical trials shall be 
provided.  4. Where a biological medicinal product which is similar to a reference biological product does not 
meet the conditions in the definition of generic 
medicinal products, owing to, in particular, differences relating to raw materials or differences in manufacturing processes of the biological medicinal product and the reference biological medicinal product, the results of 
appropriate pre-clinical tests or clinical trials 
relating to these conditions must be provided. The type and quantity of supplementary data to be provided must comply with the relevant criteria stated in the Annex and the related detailed guidelines. The results of other tests and trials from the reference medicinal product's 
dossier shall not be provided. 
 5. In addition to the provisions laid down in paragraph 1, where an application is made for a new indication for a well-established substance, a non-cumulative period of one year of data 
exclusivity shall be gr anted, provided that 
significant pre-clinical or clinical studies were 
carried out in relation to the new indication.  6. Conducting the necessary studies and trials 
with a view to the application of paragraphs 1, 2, 
3 and 4 and the consequential practical requirements shall not be regarded as contrary to patent rights or to supplementary protection certificates for medicinal products.  
Article 10a 
 
By way of derogation from Article 8(3)(i), and without prejudice to the law relating to the protection of industrial and commercial property, 
the applicant shall not be required to provide the 
results of pre-clinical tests or clinical trials if he can demonstrate that the active substances of the medicinal product have b een in well-established 
medicinal use within the Community for at least 
ten years, with recognised efficacy and an 
acceptable level of safety in terms of the conditions set out in the Annex. In that event, the test and trial results shall be replaced by appropriate scientific literature.  
Article 10b 
 In the case of medicinal products containing active substances used in the composition of authorised medicinal products but not hitherto 
used in combination for therapeutic purposes, the 
results of new pre-clinical tests or new clinical trials relating to that combination shall be provided in accordance with Article 8(3)(i), but it shall not be necessary to provide scientific references relating to each individual active 
substance. 
 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 22 -Article 10c 
 
Following the granting of a marketing 
authorisation, the authorisation holder may allow use to be made of the pharmaceutical, pre-clinical and clinical documentation contained in the file on the medicinal product, with a view to examining subsequent applications relating to 
other medicinal products possessing the same 
qualitative and quantitative composition in terms of active substances and the same pharmaceutical form.  
Article 11 
 
The summary of the product characteristics shall 
contain, in the order indicated below, the following information:  
1. name of the medicinal product followed by the 
strength and the pharmaceutical form.  2. qualitative and quantitative composition in terms of the active substan ces and constituents of 
the excipient, knowledge of which is essential for proper administration of the medicinal product. The usual common name or chemical description shall be used.  
3. pharmaceutical form. 
 4. clinical particulars:  
4.1. therapeutic indications,  
4.2. posology and method of 
administration for adults and, where necessary for children,  4.3. contra-indications, 
 
4.4. special warnings and precautions for use and, in the case of immunological medicinal products, any special precautions to be taken by persons handling such products and 
administering them to patients, together 
with any precautions to be taken by the patient,  4.5. interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interactions, 
 
4.6. use during pregnancy and lactation,  4.7. effects on ability to drive and to use machines,  
4.8. undesirable effects, 
 4.9. overdose (symptoms, emergency procedures, antidotes).  
5. pharmacological properties:  
5.1. pharmacodynamic properties,  5.2. pharmacokinetic properties,  
5.3. preclinical safety data. 
 
6. pharmaceutical particulars:  
6.1. list of excipients, 
 
6.2. major incompatibilities,  6.3. shelf life, when necessary after reconstitution of the medicinal product 
or when the immediate packaging is 
opened for the first time,  6.4. special precautions for storage,  6.5. nature and contents of container, 
 
6.6. special precautions for disposal of a used medicinal product or waste materials derived from such medicinal product, if appropriate. 
 
7. marketing authorisation holder. 
 8. marketing authorisation number(s).  9. date of the first authorisation or renewal of the 
authorisation. 
 10. date of revision of the text.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 23 -11. for radiopharmaceuticals, full details of 
internal radiation dosimetry. 
 
12. for radiopharmaceuticals, additional detailed instructions for extemporaneous preparation and quality control of such preparation and, where appropriate, maximum storage time during which any intermediate preparation such as an 
eluate or the ready-to-use pharmaceutical will 
conform with its specifications.  For authorisations under Article 10, those parts of the summary of product characteristics of the 
reference medicinal product referring to 
indications or dosage forms which were still covered by patent law at the time when a generic medicine was marketed need not be included.  
Article 12 
 1. The applicant shall ensure that, before the detailed summaries referred to in the last subparagraph of Article 8( 3) are submitted to the 
competent authorities, they have been drawn up 
and signed by experts with the necessary 
technical or professional qualifications, which shall be set out in a brief curriculum vitae.  2. Persons having the technical and professional 
qualifications referred to  in paragraph 1 shall 
justify any use made of scientific literature under 
Article 10a in accordance with the conditions set out in Annex I.  3. The detailed summaries shall form part of the 
file which the applicant submits to the competent 
authorities.  
  
CHAPTER 2 
 
Specific provisions applicable to homeopathic 
medicinal products 
 
Article 13 
 
1. Member States shall ensure that homeopathic 
medicinal products manufactured and placed on the market within the Community are registered or authorised in accordance with Articles 14, 15 and 16, except where such medicinal products are covered by a registration or authorisation granted in accordance with national legislation 
on or before 31 December 1993. In case of 
registrations, Article 28 and Article 29(1) to (3) shall apply.  2. Member States shall establish a special simplified registration procedure for the 
homeopathic medicinal pr oducts referred to in 
Article 14. 
 
Article 14 
 
1. Only homeopathic medicinal products which 
satisfy all of the following conditions may be subject to a special, simplified registration procedure:  - they are administered orally or externally, 
 
- no specific therapeutic indication appears on the labelling of the medicinal product or in any information relating thereto,  
- there is a sufficient degree of dilution to 
guarantee the safety of the medicinal product; in particular, the medicinal product may not contain either more than one pa rt per 10 000 of the 
mother tincture or more than 1/100th of the 
smallest dose used in allopathy with regard to 
active substances whose presence in an allopathic medicinal product results in the obligation to submit a doctor's prescription.  If new scientific evidence so warrants, the 
Commission may amend the third indent of the 
first subparagraph by the procedure referred to in Article 121(2).   At the time of registration, Member States shall 
determine the classification for the dispensing of 
the medicinal product.  2. The criteria and rules of procedure provided for in Article 4(4), Article 17(1) and Articles 22 to 26, 112, 116 and 125 shall apply by analogy 
to the special, simplified registration procedure 
for homeopathic medicinal products, with the exception of the proof of therapeutic efficacy.   
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 24 -Article 15 
 
An application for special, simplified registration 
may cover a series of medicinal products derived from the same homeopathic stock or stocks. The following documents shall be included with the application in order to demonstrate, in particular, the pharmaceutical quality and the batch-to-
batch homogeneity of th e products concerned: 
 
- scientific name or other name given in a pharmacopoeia of the hom eopathic stock or 
stocks, together with a statement of the various 
routes of administration, pharmaceutical forms 
and degree of dilution to be registered,  - dossier describing how the homeopathic stock or stocks is/are obtai ned and controlled, and 
justifying its/their homeopathic use, on the basis 
of an adequate bibliography, 
 - manufacturing and control file for each pharmaceutical form and a description of the method of dilution and potentization, 
 
- manufacturing authorization for the medicinal product concerned,  - copies of any registrations or authorizations 
obtained for the same medicinal product in other 
Member States,  - one or more mock-ups of the outer packaging and the immediate packaging of the medicinal products to be registered, 
 
- data concerning the stability of the medicinal product.  
Article 16 
 1. Homeopathic medicinal products other than those referred to in Article 14(1) shall be authorized and labelled in accordance with Articles 8, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c and 11.  
2. A Member State may introduce or retain in its 
territory specific rules for the pre-clinical tests and clinical trials of  homeopathic medicinal 
products other than those referred to in Article 14(1) in accordance with the principles and characteristics of homeopathy as practised in that Member State. 
 
In this case, the Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of the specific rules in force.  3. Title IX shall apply to homeopathic medicinal 
products, with the exception of those referred to 
in Article 14(1).   
CHAPTER 2a 
 
Specific provisions applicable to traditional 
herbal medicinal products 
 
Article 16a 
 
1. A simplified registration procedure 
(hereinafter “traditional- use registration”) is hereby established for herbal medicinal products which fulfil all of the following criteria:  
(a) they have indications exclusively appropriate 
to traditional herbal medicinal products which, by virtue of their composition and purpose, are intended and designed for use without the supervision of a medical practitioner for 
diagnostic purposes or for prescription or 
monitoring of treatment;  (b) they are exclusively for administration in accordance with a specified strength and posology; 
 
(c) they are an oral, external and/or inhalation preparation;  (d) the period of traditional use as laid down in 
Article 16c(1)(c) has elapsed; 
 (e) the data on the traditional use of the medicinal product are sufficient; in particular the product proves not to be harmful in the specified conditions of use and the pharmacological 
effects or efficacy of the medicinal product are 
plausible on the basis of long-standing use and experience.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 25 -2. Notwithstanding Article 1(30), the presence in 
the herbal medicinal product of vitamins or 
minerals for the safety of which there is well-
documented evidence shall not prevent the product from being eligible for registration in accordance with paragraph 1, provided that the action of the vitamins or minerals is ancillary to that of the herbal active ingredients regarding the 
specified claimed indication(s). 
 3. However, in cases where the competent authorities judge that a traditional herbal medicinal product fulfils the criteria for 
authorisation in accordance with Article 6 or 
registration pursuant to Article 14, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply.  
Article 16b 
 
1. The applicant and registration holder shall be established in the Community.  2. In order to obtain traditional-use registration, the applicant shall submit an application to the 
competent authority of the Member State 
concerned.  
Article 16c 
 
1. The application shall be accompanied by:  (a) the particulars and documents:  
(i) referred to in Article 8(3)(a) to (h), (j) and (k); 
 
(ii) the results of the pharmaceutical tests referred to in the second indent of Article 8(3)(i);  
(iii) the summary of product 
characteristics, without the data specified in Article 11(4);  (iv) in case of combinations, as referred to in Article 1(30) or Article 16a(2), the 
information referred to in Article 
16a(1)(e) relating to the combination as such; if the individual active ingredients are not sufficiently known, the data shall also relate to the individual active ingredients; 
 
(b) any authorisation or registration obtained by 
the applicant in another Member State, or in a third country, to place the medicinal product on the market, and details of any decision to refuse to grant an authorisation or registration, whether 
in the Community or a third country, and the 
reasons for any such decision;  (c) bibliographical or expert evidence to the effect that the medicinal product in question, or a 
corresponding product has been in medicinal use 
throughout a period of at least 30 years preceding the date of the application, including at least 15 years within the Community. At the request of the Member State where the application for traditional-use registration has 
been submitted, the Committee for Herbal 
Medicinal Products shall draw up an opinion on the adequacy of the evidence of the long-standing use of the product, or of the corresponding product. The Member State shall 
submit relevant documen tation supporting the 
referral; 
 (d) a bibliographic review of safety data together with an expert report, and where required by the 
competent authority, upon additional request, 
data necessary for assessing the safety of the medicinal product.  Annex I shall apply by analogy to the particulars and documents specified in point (a). 
 
2. A corresponding product, as referred to in paragraph 1(c), is characterised by having the same active ingredients, irrespective of the excipients used, the same or similar intended 
purpose, equivalent strength and posology and 
the same or similar route of administration as the medicinal product applied for.  3. The requirement to show medicinal use throughout the period of 30 years, referred to in 
paragraph 1(c), is satisfied even where the 
marketing of the product has not been based on a specific authorisation. It is likewise satisfied if the number or quantity of ingredients of the 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 26 -medicinal product has been reduced during that 
period. 
 
4. Where the product has been used in the Community for less than 15 years, but is otherwise eligible for simplified registration, the Member State where the application for traditional-use registration has been submitted 
shall refer the product to the Committee for 
Herbal Medicinal Products. The Member State shall submit relevant documentation supporting 
the referral.  
The Committee shall consider whether the other 
criteria for a simplified registration as referred to in Article 16a are fully complied with. If the Committee considers it possi ble, it shall establish 
a Community herbal monograph as referred to in Article 16h(3) which shall be taken into account 
by the Member State when taking its final 
decision.  
Article 16d 
 
1. Without prejudice to Article 16h(1), Chapter 4 
of Title III shall apply by analogy to registrations granted in accordance with Article 16a, provided that:  
(a) a Community herbal monograph has been 
established in accordance with Article 16h(3), or  (b) the herbal medicinal product consists of herbal substances, preparations or combinations thereof contained in the list referred to in Article 
16f. 
 2. For other herbal medicinal products as referred to in Article 16a, each Member State shall, when evaluating an application for 
traditional-use registration, take due account of 
registrations granted by another Member State in accordance with this chapter.  
Article 16e 
 
1. Traditional-use registration shall be refused if the application does not comply with Articles 16a, 16b or 16c or if at least one of the following conditions is fulfilled:  (a) the qualitative and/or quantitative composition is not as declared; 
 
(b) the indications do not comply with the conditions laid down in Article 16a;  (c) the product could be harmful under normal conditions of use; 
 
(d) the data on traditional use are insufficient, especially if pharmacological effects or efficacy are not plausible on the basis of long-standing use and experience; 
 
(e) the pharmaceutical quality is not satisfactorily demonstrated.  2. The competent authorities of the Member States shall notify the applicant, the Commission 
and any competent authority that requests it, of 
any decision they take to refuse traditional-use registration and the reasons for the refusal.  
Article 16f 
 
1. A list of herbal substances, preparations and combinations thereof for use in traditional herbal medicinal products shall be established in accordance with the procedure referred to in 
Article 121(2). The list shall contain, with regard 
to each herbal substance, the indication, the specified strength and the posology, the route of administration and any other information necessary for the safe use of the herbal substance as a traditional medicinal product. 
 
2. If an application for traditional-use registration relates to a herbal substance, preparation or a combination thereof contained in the list referred to in paragraph 1, the data 
specified in Article 16c(1)(b)(c) and (d) do not 
need to be provided. Article 16e(1)(c) and (d) shall not apply.  3. If a herbal substance, preparation or a combination thereof ceases to be included in the 
list referred to in paragraph 1, registrations 
pursuant to paragraph 2 for herbal medicinal products containing this substance shall be revoked unless the particulars and documents 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 27 -referred to in Article 16c(1) are submitted within 
three months. 
 
Article 16g 
 
1. Articles 3(1) and (2), 4(4), 6(1), 12, 17(1), 19, 
20, 23, 24, 25, 40 to 52, 70 to 85, 101 to 108, 111(1) and (3), 112, 116 to 118, 122, 123, 125, 
126, second subparagraph,  and 127 of this 
Directive as well as Commission Directive 
91/356/EEC
29 shall apply, by analogy, to 
traditional-use registration granted under this chapter. 
 
2. In addition to the requirements of Articles 54 to 65, any labelling and user package leaflet shall contain a statement to the effect that:  (a) the product is a traditional herbal medicinal 
product for use in specified indication(s) 
exclusively based upon long-standing use; and  (b) the user should consult a doctor or a qualified health care practitioner if the symptoms persist 
during the use of the medicinal product or if 
adverse effects not mentioned in the package leaflet occur.  A Member State may require that the labelling 
and the user package leaf let shall also state the 
nature of the tradition in question. 
 3. In addition to the requirements of Articles 86 to 99, any advertisement for a medicinal product registered under this chapter shall contain the 
following statement: Traditional herbal 
medicinal product for use in specified indication(s) exclusively based upon long-standing use.  
Article 16h 
 
1. A Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products is hereby established. That Committee shall be part of the Agency and shall have the following competence: 
 
(a) as regards simplified registrations, to:  
                                                 
29 OJ L 193, 17.7.1991, p. 30 . - perform the tasks arising from Article 16c(1) and (4), 
 
- perform the tasks arising from Article 16d,  - prepare a draft list of herbal substances, preparations and combinations thereof, 
as referred to in Article 16f(1), and 
 - establish Community monographs for traditional herbal medicinal products, as referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article; 
 
(b) as regards authorisations of herbal medicinal 
products, to establish Community herbal monographs for herbal medicinal products, as referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article;  
(c) as regards referrals to the Agency under 
Chapter 4 of Title III, in relation to herbal medicinal products as refe rred to in Article 16a, 
to perform the tasks set out in Article 32;  
(d) where other medicinal products containing 
herbal substances are referred to the Agency under Chapter 4 of Title III, to give an opinion on the herbal substance where appropriate.  
Finally, the Committee for Herbal Medicinal 
Products shall perform any other task conferred upon it by Community law.  The appropriate coordination with the Committee for Human Medicinal Products shall 
be ensured by a procedure to be determined by 
the Executive Director of the Agency in accordance with Article 57(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93.  
2. Each Member State shall appoint, for a three-
year term which may be renewed, one member and one alternate to the Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products.  The alternates shall represent and vote for the 
members in their absence. Members and 
alternates shall be chosen for their role and experience in the evaluation of herbal medicinal products and shall represent the competent national authorities. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 28 - 
The said Committee may co-opt a maximum of 
five additional members chosen on the basis of 
their specific scientific competence. These members shall be appointed for a term of three years, which may be renewed, and shall not have alternates.  
With a view to the co-opting of such members, 
the said Committee shall identify the specific complementary scientific competence of the additional member(s). Co-opted members shall be chosen among experts nominated by Member 
States or the Agency. 
 The members of the said Committee may be accompanied by experts in specific scientific or technical fields.  
3. The Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products 
shall establish Community herbal monographs for herbal medicinal products with regard to the application of Article 10(1)(a)(ii) as well as traditional herbal medicinal products. The said 
Committee shall fulfil further responsibilities 
conferred upon it by provis ions of this chapter 
and other Community law.  When Community herbal monographs within the 
meaning of this paragra ph have been established, 
they shall be taken into account by the Member 
States when examining an application. Where no such Community herbal monograph has yet been established, other appropriate monographs, publications or data may be referred to. 
 
When new Community herbal monographs are established, the registration holder shall consider whether it is necessary to modify the registration dossier accordingly. The registration holder shall 
notify any such modification to the competent 
authority of the Member State concerned.  The herbal monographs shall be published.  4. The general provisions of Regulation (EEC) 
No 2309/93 relating to the Committee for 
Human Medicinal Products shall apply by analogy to the Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products.  Article 16i 
 
Before 30 April 2007, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council concerning the application of the provisions of this chapter.  The report shall include an assessment on the 
possible extension of traditional-use registration 
to other categories of medicinal products. 
 
 
CHAPTER 3 
 
Procedures relevant to the marketing 
authorisation 
 
Article 17 
 1. Member States shall take all appropriate 
measures to ensure that the procedure for granting a marketing authorisation for medicinal products is completed within a maximum of 210 days after the submission of a valid application. 
 
Applications for marketing authorisations in two or more Member States in respect of the same medicinal product shall be submitted in accordance with Articles 27 to 39. 
 
2. Where a Member State notes that another marketing authorisation application for the same medicinal product is being examined in another Member State, the Member State concerned shall decline to assess the application and shall advise 
the applicant that Articles 27 to 39 apply. 
 
Article 18 
 Where a Member State is informed in 
accordance with Article 8(3)(1) that another 
Member State has authorised a medicinal product which is the subject of a marketing authorisation application in the Member State concerned, it shall reject the application unless it was submitted in compliance with Articles 27 to 
39. 
 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 29 -Article 19 
 
In order to examine the application submitted in 
accordance with Articles 8, 10, 10a, 10b and 10c, the competent authority of the Member State:  1. must verify whether the particulars submitted 
in support of the application comply with the 
said Articles 8, 10, 10a, 10b and 10c and examine whether the conditions for issuing an authorization to place medicinal products on the market (marketing authorization) are complied 
with. 
 2. may submit the medicinal product, its starting materials and, if need be, its intermediate products or other constituent materials, for testing by an Official Medicines Control 
Laboratory or a laboratory that a Member State 
has designed for that purpo se in order to ensure 
that the control methods employed by the manufacturer and described in the particulars accompanying the application in accordance 
with Article 8(3)(h) are satisfactory. 
 3. may, where appropriate, require the applicant to supplement the particulars accompanying the application in respect of the items listed in the 
Articles 8(3), 10, 10a, 10b and 10c. Where the 
competent authority avails itself of this option, the time limits laid down in Article 17 shall be suspended until such time as the supplementary information required has been provided. Likewise, these time limits shall be suspended 
for the time allowed the applicant, where 
appropriate, for giving oral or written explanation.  
Article 20 
 Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that:  (a) the competent authorities verify that manufacturers and importers of medicinal 
products coming from third countries are able to 
carry out manufacture in compliance with the particulars supplied pursuant to Article 8(3)(d), and/or to carry out controls according to the methods described in the particulars accompanying the application in accordance with Article 8(3)(h); 
 
(b) the competent authorities may allow manufacturers and importers of medicinal products coming from third countries, in justifiable cases, to have certain stages of manufacture and/or certain of the controls 
referred to in (a) carried out by third parties; in 
such cases, the verifications by the competent authorities shall also be made in the establishment designated.  
Article 21 
 1. When the marketing authorization is issued, the holder shall be informed, by the competent authorities of the Member State concerned, of the summary of the product characteristics as 
approved by it. 
  2. The competent authorities shall take all necessary measures to ensure that the information given in the summary is in 
conformity with that accepted when the 
marketing authorization is issued or subsequently.  3. The competent authorities shall make publicly 
available without delay the marketing 
authorisation together with the summary of the product characteristics for each medicinal product which they have authorised.  4. The competent authorities shall draw up an 
assessment report and comments on the file as 
regards the results of the pharmaceutical and pre-clinical tests and the clinical trials of the medicinal product concerned. The assessment report shall be updated whenever new 
information becomes available which is of 
importance for the evaluation of the quality, safety or efficacy of the medicinal product concerned.  The competent authorities shall make publicly 
accessible without delay the assessment report, 
together with the reasons for their opinion, after deletion of any information of a commercially confidential nature. The justification shall be 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 30 -provided separately for each indication applied 
for. 
 
Article 22 
 
In exceptional circumstances and following consultation with the applicant, the authorisation may be granted subject to a requirement for the 
applicant to meet certain conditions, in particular 
concerning the safety of the medicinal product, 
notification to the competent authorities of any incident relating to its use, and action to be taken. This authorisation may be granted only 
for objective, verifiable reasons and must be 
based on one of the grounds set out in Annex I. Continuation of the authorisation shall be linked to the annual reassessme nt of these conditions. 
The list of these conditions shall be made publicly accessible without delay, together with 
deadlines and dates of fulfilment. 
 
Article 23 
 After an authorization has been issued, the 
authorization holder must, in respect of the 
methods of manufacture and control provided for in Article 8(3)(d) and (h), take account of scientific and technical progress and introduce any changes that may be required to enable the 
medicinal product to be manufactured and 
checked by means of generally accepted scientific methods.  These changes shall be subject to the approval of the competent authority of the Member State 
concerned. 
 The authorisation holder shall forthwith supply to the competent authority any new information which might entail the amendment of the 
particulars or documents referred to in Articles 
8(3), 10, 10a, 10b and 11, or 32(5), or Annex I.  In particular, he shall forthwith inform the competent authority of any prohibition or restriction imposed by the competent authorities 
of any country in which the medicinal product 
for human use is marketed and of any other new information which might influence the evaluation of the benefits and risks of the medicinal product for human use concerned.  In order that the risk-benefit balance may be 
continuously assessed, the competent authority 
may at any time ask the holder of the marketing authorisation to forward data demonstrating that the risk-benefit balance remains favourable.  
Article 23a 
 After a marketing authorisation has been granted, the holder of the authorisation shall inform the competent authority of the authorising Member State of the date of actual 
marketing of the medicinal product for human 
use in that Member State, taking into account the various presentations authorised.  The holder shall also notify the competent authority if the product ceases to be placed on 
the market of the Member State, either 
temporarily or permanently. Such notification shall, otherwise than in exceptional circumstances, be made no less than 2 months before the interruption in the placing on the 
market of the product. 
 Upon request by the competent authority, particularly in the context of pharmacovigilance, the marketing authorisation holder shall provide 
the competent authority with all data relating to 
the volume of sales of the medicinal product, and any data in his possession relating to the volume of prescriptions.  
Article 24 
 1. Without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 5, a marketing authorisation shall be valid for five years.  
2. The marketing authorisation may be renewed 
after five years on the basis of a re-evaluation of the risk-benefit balance by the competent authority of the authorising Member State.  To this end, the marketing authorisation holder 
shall provide the competent authority with a 
consolidated version of the file in respect of quality, safety and efficacy, including all variations introduced since the marketing authorisation was granted, at least six months 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 31 -before the marketing authorisation ceases to be 
valid in accordance with paragraph 1. 
 
3. Once renewed, the marketing authorisation shall be valid for an unlimited period, unless the competent authority decides, on justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, to proceed with one additional five-year renewal in 
accordance with paragraph 2. 
 4. Any authorisation which within three years of its granting is not followed by the actual placing on the market of the authorised product in the 
authorising Member State shall cease to be valid. 
 5. When an authorised product previously placed on the market in the authorising Member State is no longer actually present on the market for a period of three consecutive years, the 
authorisation for that product shall cease to be 
valid.  6. The competent authority may, in exceptional circumstances and on public health grounds 
grant exemptions from paragraphs 4 and 5. Such 
exemptions must be duly justified.  
Article 25 
 
Authorization shall not affect the civil and 
criminal liability of the manufacturer and, where applicable, of the marketing authorization holder.  
Article 26 
 1. The marketing authorisation shall be refused if, after verification of the particulars and documents listed in Articles 8, 10, 10a, 10b and 10c, it is clear that: 
 
(a) the risk-benefit balance is not considered to be favourable; or  (b) its therapeutic efficacy is insufficiently substantiated by the applicant; or 
 
(c) its qualitative and quantitative composition is not as declared.  2. Authorisation shall likewise be refused if any particulars or documents submitted in support of 
the application do not comply with Articles 8, 
10, 10a, 10b and 10c.  3. The applicant or the holder of a marketing authorisation shall be responsible for the accuracy of the documents and the data 
submitted.  
  
CHAPTER 4 
 
Mutual recognition procedure and 
decentralised procedure 
 
Article 27 
 1. A coordination group shall be set up for the 
examination of any question relating to 
marketing authorisation of a medicinal product in two or more Member States in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Chapter. The Agency shall provide the secretariat of this 
coordination group. 
 2. The coordination group shall be composed of one representative per Member State appointed for a renewable period of three years. Members 
of the coordination group may arrange to be 
accompanied by experts.  3. The coordination group shall draw up its own Rules of Procedure, which shall enter into force after a favourable opinion has been given by the 
Commission. These Rules of Procedure shall be 
made public.  
Article 28 
 
1. With a view to the granting of a marketing 
authorisation for a medicinal product in more than one Member State, an applicant shall submit an application based on an identical dossier in these Member States. The dossier shall contain the information and documents referred 
to in Articles 8, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c and 11. The 
documents submitted shall include a list of Member States concerned by the application.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 32 -The applicant shall request one Member State to 
act as “reference Member State” and to prepare 
an assessment report on the medicinal product in 
accordance with paragraphs 2 or 3.  2. Where the medicinal product has already received a marketing authorisation at the time of application, the concerned Member States shall 
recognise the marketing authorisation granted by 
the reference Member State. To this end, the marketing authorisation holder shall request the reference Member State either to prepare an assessment report on the medicinal product or, if 
necessary, to update any existing assessment 
report. The reference Member State shall prepare or update the assessment report within 90 days of receipt of a valid application. The assessment report together with the approved summary of product characteristics, labelling and package 
leaflet shall be sent to the concerned Member 
States and to the applicant.  3. In cases where the medicinal product has not received a marketing authorisation at the time of 
application, the applicant shall request the 
reference Member State to prepare a draft assessment report, a draft summary of product characteristics and a draft of the labelling and package leaflet. The reference Member State 
shall prepare these draft documents within 120 
days after receipt of a va lid application and shall 
send them to the concerned Member States and to the applicant.  4. Within 90 days of receipt of the documents 
referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3, the Member 
States concerned shall approve the assessment report, the summary of product characteristics and the labelling and package leaflet and shall inform the reference Member State accordingly. 
The reference Member State shall record the 
agreement of all parties, close the procedure and inform the applicant accordingly.  5. Each Member State in which an application has been submitted in accordance with paragraph 
1 shall adopt a decision in conformity with the 
approved assessment report, the summary of product characteristics and the labelling and package leaflet as approved, within 30 days after acknowledgement of the agreement.  
Article 29 
 1. If, within the period laid down in Article 28(4), a Member State cannot approve the assessment report, the summary of product characteristics, the labelling and the package leaflet on the grounds of potential serious risk to 
public health, it shall give a detailed exposition 
of the reasons for its position to the reference Member State, to the other Member States concerned and to the applicant. The points of disagreement shall be forthwith referred to the 
coordination group. 
 2. Guidelines to be adopted by the Commission shall define a potential serious risk to public health.  
3. Within the coordination group, all Member 
States referred to in paragraph 1 shall use their best endeavours to reach agreement on the action to be taken. They shall allow the applicant the opportunity to make his point of view known 
orally or in writing. If, within 60 days of the 
communication of the points of disagreement, the Member States reach an agreement, the reference Member State shall record the agreement, close the procedure and inform the 
applicant accordingly. Article 28(5) shall apply. 
 4. If the Member States fail to reach an agreement within the 60-day period laid down in paragraph 3, the Agency shall be immediately informed, with a view to the application of the 
procedure under Articles 32, 33 and 34. The 
Agency shall be provided with a detailed statement of the matters on which the Member States have been unable to reach agreement and the reasons for their disagreement. A copy shall 
be forwarded to the applicant. 
 5. As soon as the applicant is informed that the matter has been referred to the Agency, he shall forthwith forward to the Agency a copy of the 
information and documents referred to in the 
first subparagraph of Article 28(1). 
 6. In the circumstances referred to in paragraph 4, Member States that have approved the assessment report, the draft summary of product 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 33 -characteristics and the labelling and package 
leaflet of the reference Member State may, at the 
request of the applicant, authorise the medicinal 
product without waiting for the outcome of the procedure laid down in Article 32. In that event, the authorisation granted shall be without prejudice to the outcome of that procedure.  
Article 30 
 1. If two or more applications submitted in accordance with Articles 8, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c and 11 have been made for marketing 
authorisation for a particular medicinal product, 
and if Member States have adopted divergent decisions concerning the authorisation of the medicinal product or its suspension or revocation, a Member State, the Commission or the applicant or the marketing authorisation 
holder may refer the matter to the Committee for 
Medicinal Products for Human Use, hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”, for the application of the procedure laid down in Articles 32, 33 and 34. 
 
2. In order to promote harmonisation of authorisations for medicinal products authorised in the Community, Member States shall, each year, forward to the coordination group a list of 
medicinal products for which a harmonised 
summary of product characteristics should be drawn up.  The coordination group shall lay down a list taking into account the proposals from all 
Member States and shall forward this list to the 
Commission.  The Commission or a Member State, in agreement with the Agency and taking into 
account the views of interested parties, may refer 
these products to the Co mmittee in accordance 
with paragraph 1.   
Article 31 
 
1. The Member States or the Commission or the 
applicant or the marketing authorisation holder shall, in specific cases where the interests of the Community are involved, refer the matter to the Committee for application of the procedure laid down in Articles 32, 33 and 34 before any decision is reached on a request for a marketing 
authorisation or on the suspension or revocation 
of an authorisation, or on any other variation to the terms of a marketing authorisation which appears necessary, in particular to take account of the information collected in accordance with Title IX. 
 
The Member State concerned or the Commission shall clearly identify the question which is referred to the Committee for consideration and shall inform the applicant or the marketing 
authorisation holder. 
 The Member States and the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder shall supply the Committee with all available information relating to the matter in question. 
 
2. Where the referral to the Committee concerns a range of medicinal products or a therapeutic class, the Agency may limit the procedure to certain specific parts of the authorisation. 
 
In that event, Article 35 shall apply to those medicinal products only if they were covered by the authorisation procedures referred to in this Chapter.  
 
Article 32 
  
1. When reference is made to the procedure laid down in this Article, the Committee shall consider the matter concerned and shall issue a 
reasoned opinion within 60 days of the date on 
which the matter was referred to it.  However, in cases submitt ed to the Committee in 
accordance with Articles 30 and 31, this period 
may be extended by the Committee for a further 
period of up to 90 days, taking into account the views of the applicants or the marketing authorisation holders concerned.  In an emergency, and on a proposal from its 
Chairman, the Committee may agree to a shorter 
deadline.  2. In order to consider the matter, the Committee shall appoint one of its members to act as 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 34 -rapporteur. The Committee may also appoint 
individual experts to advise it on specific 
questions. When appointing experts, the 
Committee shall define their tasks and specify the time-limit for the completion of these tasks.  3. Before issuing its opinion, the Committee shall provide the applicant or the marketing 
authorisation holder with an opportunity to 
present written or oral explanations within a time limit which it shall specify.  The opinion of the Committee shall be 
accompanied by a draft summary of product 
characteristics for the product and a draft text of the labelling and package leaflet.  If necessary, the Committee may call upon any other person to provide information relating to 
the matter before it.  The Committee may suspend the time-limits referred to in paragraph 1 in order to allow the 
applicant or the marketing authorisation holder 
to prepare explanations. 
 4. The Agency shall forthwith inform the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder where the opinion of the Committee is that: 
 
(a) the application does not satisfy the criteria for authorisation; or  (b) the summary of the product characteristics proposed by the applicant or the marketing 
authorisation holder in accordance with Article 
11 should be amended; or  (c) the authorisation should be granted subject to certain conditions, in view of conditions 
considered essential for the safe and effective 
use of the medicinal product including pharmacovigilance; or  (d) a marketing authorisation should be suspended, varied or revoked. 
 
Within 15 days after receipt of the opinion, the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder may notify the Agency in writing of his intention to request a re-examination of the opinion. In that case, he shall forward to the Agency the detailed grounds for the request within 60 days 
after receipt of the opinion. 
 Within 60 days following receipt of the grounds for the request, the Committee shall re-examine its opinion in accordance with the fourth subparagraph of Article 62(1) of Regulation 
(EC) No 726/2004. The reasons for the 
conclusion reached shall be annexed to the assessment report referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article.  
5. Within 15 days after its adoption, the Agency 
shall forward the final opinion of the Committee to the Member States, to the Commission and to the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder, together with a report describing the assessment of the medicinal product and stating 
the reasons for its conclusions. 
 In the event of an opinion in favour of granting or maintaining an authorisation to place the medicinal product concerned on the market, the 
following documents shall be annexed to the 
opinion:  (a) a draft summary of the product characteristics, as referr ed to in Article 11; 
 (b) any conditions affecting the authorisation within the meaning of paragraph 4(c);  (c) details of any recommended conditions or restrictions with regard to the safe and effective 
use of the medicinal product; 
 (d) the proposed text of the labelling and leaflet.  
Article 33 
 Within 15 days of the receipt of the opinion, the Commission shall prepare a draft of the decision to be taken in respect of the application, taking into account Community law.  
In the event of a draft decision which envisages 
the granting of marketing authorization, the documents referred to in Article 32(5), second subparagraph sha ll be annexed. 
 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 35 -Where, exceptionally, the draft decision is not in 
accordance with the opinion of the Agency, the 
Commission shall also annex a detailed 
explanation of the reasons for the differences.  The draft decision shall be forwarded to the Member States and the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder.  
 
Article 34 
 
1. The Commission shall take a final decision in accordance with, and within 15 days after the 
end of, the procedure referred to in Article 
121(3).  2. The rules of procedure of the Standing Committee established by Article 121(1) shall be adjusted to take account of the tasks incumbent 
upon it under this Chapter. 
 Those adjustments shall entail the following provisions:  
(a) except in cases referred to in the third 
paragraph of Article 33, the opinion of the Standing Committee shall be given in writing; 
 
(b) Member States shall have 22 days to forward 
their written observations on the draft decision to 
the Commission. However, if a decision has to be taken urgently, a shorter time-limit may be set by the Chairman according to the degree of urgency involved. This time-limit shall not, otherwise than in exceptional circumstances, be 
shorter than 5 days; 
 
(c) Member States shall have the option of 
submitting a written request that the draft Decision be discussed in a plenary meeting of 
the Standing Committee. 
 
Where, in the opinion of the Commission, the 
written observations of a Member State raise important new questions of a scientific or technical nature which have not been addressed 
in the opinion delivered  by the Agency, the 
Chairman shall suspend the procedure and refer 
the application back to the Agency for further consideration.  The provisions necessary for the implementation of this paragraph shall be adopted by the 
Commission in accordance with the procedure 
referred to in Article 121(2).  3. The decision as referred to in paragraph 1 shall be addressed to all Member States and reported for information to the marketing 
authorisation holder or applicant. The concerned 
Member States and the reference Member State shall either grant or revoke the marketing authorisation, or vary its terms as necessary to comply with the decision within 30 days 
following its notification, and they shall refer to 
it. They shall inform the Commission and the Agency accordingly.  
Article 35 
 
1. Any application by the marketing 
authorization holder to vary a marketing authorization which has been granted in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter shall be submitted to all the Member States 
which have previously authorized the medicinal 
product concerned.  The Commission shall, in consultation with the Agency, adopt appropriate arrangements for the 
examination of variations to the terms of a 
marketing authorization.  These arrangements shall be adopted by the Commission in the form of an implementing Regulation in accordance with the procedure 
referred to in Article 121(2). 
 2. In case of arbitration submitted to the Commission, the procedure laid down in Articles 32, 33 and 34 shall apply by analogy to 
variations made to marketing authorizations. 
 
Article 36 
 1. Where a Member State considers that the variation of a marketing authorization which has 
been granted in accordance with the provisions 
of this Chapter or its suspension or withdrawal is necessary for the protection of public health, the Member State concerned shall forthwith refer the 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 36 -matter to the Agency for the application of the 
procedures laid down in Articles 32, 33 and 34. 
 
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 31, in exceptional cases, where urgent action is essential to protect public health, until a definitive decision is adopted a Member State may suspend the marketing and the use of the 
medicinal product concerned on its territory. It 
shall inform the Commission and the other Member States no later than the following working day of the reasons for its action.  
Article 37 
 Articles 35 and 36 shall apply by analogy to medicinal products authorized by Member States following an opinion of the Committee given in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 
87/22/EEC before 1 January 1995. 
 
Article 38 
 1. The Agency shall publish an annual report on 
the operation of the procedures laid down in this 
Chapter and shall forward that report to the European Parliament and the Council for information.  
2. At least every ten years the Commission shall 
publish a report on the experience acquired on the basis of the procedures described in this Chapter and shall propose any amendments which may be necessary to improve those procedures. The Commission shall submit this 
report to the European Parliament and to the 
Council.  
Article 39 
 
Article 29(4), (5) and (6) and Articles 30 to 34 
shall not apply to the homeopathic medicinal products referred to in Article 14.  Articles 28 to 34 shall not apply to the homeopathic medicinal pr oducts referred to in 
Article 16(2).  
 TITLE IV 
 
MANUFACTURE AND IMPORTATION 
 
Article 40 
 1. Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the manufacture of the 
medicinal products within their territory is 
subject to the holding of an authorization. This manufacturing authorization shall be required notwithstanding that the medicinal products manufactured are intended for export. 
 
2. The authorization referred to in paragraph 1 shall be required for both total and partial manufacture, and for the various processes of dividing up, packaging or presentation.  
However, such authorization shall not be 
required for preparation, dividing up, changes in packaging or presentation where these processes are carried out, solely for retail supply, by pharmacists in dispensing pharmacies or by 
persons legally authorized in the Member States 
to carry out such processes.  3. Authorization referred to in paragraph 1 shall also be required for imports coming from third 
countries into a Member State; this Title and 
Article 118 shall have corresponding application to such imports as they have to manufacture.  4. The Member States shall forward to the Agency a copy of the authorisation referred to in 
paragraph 1. The Agency shall enter that 
information on the Community database referred to in Article 111(6).   
Article 41 
 In order to obtain the manufacturing authorization, the applicant shall meet at least the following requirements:  (a) specify the medicinal products and 
pharmaceutical forms which are to be 
manufactured or imported and also the place where they are to be manufactured and/or controlled;  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 37 -(b) have at his disposal, for the manufacture or 
import of the above, suitable and sufficient 
premises, technical equipment and control 
facilities complying with the legal requirements which the Member State concerned lays down as regards both manufacture and control and the storage of medicinal products, in accordance with Article 20; 
 
(c) have at his disposal the services of at least one qualified person within the meaning of Article 48.  
The applicant shall provide particulars in support 
of the above in his application.  
Article 42 
 1. The competent authority of the Member State 
shall issue the manufacturing authorization only 
after having made sure of the accuracy of the particulars supplied pursuant to Article 41, by means of an inquiry carried out by its agents.  
2. In order to ensure that the requirements 
referred to in Article 41 are complied with, authorization may be made conditional on the carrying out of certain obligations imposed either when authorization is granted or at a later 
date. 
 3. The authorization shall apply only to the premises specified in the application and to the medicinal products and pharmaceutical forms specified in that same application. 
 
Article 43 
 
The Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the time taken for the 
procedure for granting the manufacturing 
authorization does not exceed 90 days from the day on which the competent authority receives the application.  
Article 44 
 If the holder of the manufacturing authorization requests a change in any of the particulars referred to in points (a) and (b) of the first paragraph of Article 41, the time taken for the procedure relating to this request shall not exceed 30 days. In exceptional cases this period 
of time may be extended to 90 days. 
 
Article 45 
 The competent authority of the Member State may require from the applicant further 
information concerning the particulars supplied 
pursuant to Article 41 and concerning the qualified person referred to  in Article 48; where 
the competent authority concerned exercises this right, application of the time-limits referred to in 
Article 43 and 44 shall be suspended until the 
additional data required have been supplied. 
 
Article 46 
 The holder of a manufacturing authorization 
shall at least be obliged: 
 (a) to have at his disposal the services of staff who comply with the legal requirements existing in the Member State concerned both as regards 
manufacture and controls; 
 (b) to dispose of the authorized medicinal products only in accordance with the legislation of the Member States concerned; 
 
(c) to give prior notice to the competent authority of any changes he may wish to make to any of the particulars supplied pursuant to Article 41; the competent authority shall, in any event, be immediately informed if the qualified 
person referred to in Article 48 is replaced 
unexpectedly;  (d) to allow the agents of the competent authority of the Member State concerned access 
to his premises at any time; 
 (e) to enable the qualified person referred to in Article 48 to carry out his duties, for example by placing at his disposal all the necessary facilities;  
(f) to comply with the principles and guidelines 
of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products and to use as starting materials only active substances, which have been manufactured in accordance with the detailed 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 38 -guidelines on good manufacturing practice for 
starting materials. 
 
This point shall also be applicable to certain excipients, the list of which as well as the specific conditions of application shall be established by a Directive adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure 
referred to in Article 121(2). 
 
Article 46a 
 1. For the purposes of this Directive, 
manufacture of active substances used as starting 
materials shall include both total and partial manufacture or import of an active substance used as a starting material as defined in Part I, point 3.2.1.1 (b) Annex I, and the various processes of dividing up, packaging or 
presentation prior to its incorporation into a 
medicinal product, including repackaging or re-labelling, such as are carried out by a distributor of starting materials.  
2. Any amendments necessary to adapt 
paragraph 1 to new scientific and technical developments shall be laid down in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 121(2).  
Article 47 
 The principles and guidelines of good manufacturing practices for medicinal products referred to in Article 46(f) shall be adopted in the form of a directive, in accordance with the 
procedure referred to in Article 121(2). 
 Detailed guidelines in line with those principles will be published by the Commission and revised necessary to take account of technical and 
scientific progress. 
 The principles of good manufacturing practice for active substances used as starting materials referred to in point (f) of Article 46 shall be adopted in the form of detailed guidelines. 
 
The Commission shall also publish guidelines on the form and content of the authorisation referred to in Article 40(1), on the reports referred to in Article 111(3) and on the fo rm and content of the certificate of good manufacturing practice referred to in Article 111(5). 
 
Article 48 
 
1. Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that  the holder of the 
manufacturing authorization has permanently 
and continuously at his disposal the services of 
at least one qualified person, in accordance with the conditions laid do wn in Article 49, 
responsible in particular for carrying out the duties specified in Article 51. 
 
2. If he personally fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 49, the holder of the authorization may himself assume the responsibility referred to in paragraph 1.  
Article 49 
 1. Member States shall ensure that the qualified person referred to in Article 48 fulfils the conditions of qualification set out in paragraphs 
2 and 3.  2. A qualified person shall be in possession of a diploma, certificate or other evidence of formal qualifications awarded on completion of a 
university course of study, or a course 
recognized as equivalent by the Member State concerned, extending over a period of at least four years of theoretical and practical study in one of the following scientific disciplines: pharmacy, medicine, veterinary medicine, 
chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry and 
technology, biology.  However, the minimum duration of the university course may be three and a half years 
where the course is followed by a period of 
theoretical and practical training of a minimum duration of one year and including a training period of at least six months in a pharmacy open to the public, corroborated by an examination at university level. 
 
Where two university courses or two courses recognized by the State as equivalent co-exist in a Member State and where one of these extends over four years and the other over three years, 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 39 -the three-year course leading to a diploma, 
certificate or other evidence of formal 
qualifications awarded on completion of a 
university course or its recognized equivalent shall be considered to fulfil the condition of duration referred to in the second subparagraph in so far as the diplomas, certificates or other evidence of formal qualifications awarded on 
completion of both courses are recognized as 
equivalent by the State in question.  The course shall include theoretical and practical study bearing upon at least the following basic 
subjects: 
 - Experimental physics  - General and inorganic chemistry  
- Organic chemistry 
 - Analytical chemistry  - Pharmaceutical chemistry, including analysis 
of medicinal products 
 - General and applied biochemistry (medical)  - Physiology 
 
- Microbiology  - Pharmacology  - Pharmaceutical technology 
 
- Toxicology  - Pharmacognosy (study of the composition and effects of the natural active substances of plant 
and animal origin). 
 Studies in these subjects should be so balanced as to enable the person concerned to fulfil the obligations specified in Article 51.  
In so far as certain diplom as, certificates or other 
evidence of formal qualifications mentioned in 
the first subparagraph do not fulfil the criteria laid down in this paragraph, the competent authority of the Member State shall ensure that the person concerned provides evidence of adequate knowledge of the subjects involved. 
 
3. The qualified person shall have acquired practical experience over at least two years, in one or more undertakings which are authorized to manufacture medicinal products, in the activities of qualitative analysis of medicinal 
products, of quantitative analysis of active 
substances and of the testing and checking necessary to ensure the quality of medicinal products.  
The duration of practical experience may be 
reduced by one year where a university course lasts for at least five years and by a year and a half where the course lasts for at least six years.  
Article 50 
 1. A person engaging in the activities of the person referred to in Article 48 from the time of the application of Directive 75/319/EEC, in a Member State without complying with the 
provisions of Article 49 shall be eligible to 
continue to engage in those activities within the Community.  2. The holder of a diploma, certificate or other 
evidence of formal qualifications awarded on 
completion of a university course - or a course recognized as equivalent by the Member State concerned - in a scientific discipline allowing him to engage in the activities of the person referred to in Article 48 in accordance with the 
laws of that State may - if he began his course 
prior to 21 May 1975 - be considered as qualified to carry out in that State the duties of the person referred to in Article 48 provided that 
he has previously engaged in the following 
activities for at least two years before 21 May 
1985 following notification of this directive in one or more undertakings authorized to manufacture: production supervision and/or qualitative and quantitative analysis of active substances, and the necessary testing and 
checking under the direct authority of the person 
referred to in Article 48 to ensure the quality of the medicinal products.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 40 -If the person concerned has acquired the 
practical experience referred to in the first 
subparagraph before 21 May 1965, a further one 
year's practical experience in accordance with the conditions referred to in the first subparagraph will be requi red to be completed 
immediately before he engages in such activities.  
Article 51 
 1. Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the qualified person referred to in Article 48, without prejudice to his 
relationship with the holder of the manufacturing 
authorization, is responsible, in the context of the procedures referred to in Article 52, for securing:  
(a) in the case of medicinal products manufactured within the Member States 
concerned, that each batch of medicinal 
products has been manufactured and checked in compliance with the laws in force in that Member State and in accordance with the requirements of the 
marketing authorisation; 
 
(b) in the case of medicinal products 
coming from third countries, irrespective of whether the product has been 
manufactured in the Community, that 
each production batch has undergone in a Member State a full qualitative analysis, a quantitative analysis of at least all the active substances and all the other tests or checks necessary to ensure 
the quality of medicinal products in 
accordance with the requirements of the marketing authorisation. 
 The batches of medicina l products which have 
undergone such controls in  a Member State shall 
be exempt from the controls if they are marketed in another Member State, accompanied by the control reports signed by the qualified person.  2. In the case of medicinal products imported 
from a third country, where appropriate 
arrangements have been made by the Community with the exporting country to ensure that the manufacturer of the medicinal product applies standards of good manufacturing practice at least equivalent to those laid down by the Community, and to ensure that the controls 
referred to under point (b) of the first 
subparagraph of paragrap h 1 have been carried 
out in the exporting country, the qualified person may be relieved of responsibility for carrying out those controls.  
3. In all cases and particularly where the 
medicinal products are released for sale, the qualified person must certify in a register or equivalent document provided for that purpose, that each production batch satisfies the 
provisions of this Article; the said register or 
equivalent document must be kept up to date as operations are carried out and must remain at the disposal of the agents of the competent authority for the period specified in the provisions of the 
Member State concerned and in any event for at 
least five years. 
 
Article 52 
 Member States shall ensure that the duties of 
qualified persons referred to in Article 48 are 
fulfilled, either by means of appropriate 
administrative measures or by making such persons subject to a professional code of conduct. 
 
Member States may provide for the temporary suspension of such a person upon the commencement of administrative or disciplinary procedures against him for failure to fulfil his obligations. 
 
Article 53 
 The provisions of this Title shall also apply to homeopathic medicinal products. 
 
 
TITLE V 
 
LABELLING AND PACKAGE LEAFLET 
 
Article 54 
 The following particulars shall appear on the 
outer packaging of medicinal products or, where 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 41 -there is no outer packaging, on the immediate 
packaging: 
 
(a) the name of the medicinal product followed by its strength and pharmaceutical form, and, if appropriate, whether it is intended for babies, children or adults; where the product contains up to three active substances, the international non-
proprietary name (INN) shall be included, or, if 
one does not exist, the common name;  (b) a statement of the active substances expressed qualitatively and quantitatively per 
dosage unit or according to the form of 
administration for a given volume or weight, using their common names;  (c) the pharmaceutical form and the contents by weight, by volume or by number of doses of the 
product; 
 (d) a list of those excipients known to have a recognized action or effect and included in the detailed guidance published pursuant to Article 
65. However, if the product is injectable, or a 
topical or eye preparation, all excipients must be stated;  (e) the method of administration and, if 
necessary, the route of administration. Space 
shall be provided for the prescribed dose to be indicated;  (f) a special warning that the medicinal product must be stored out of the reach and sight of 
children; 
 (g) a special warning, if this is necessary for the medicinal product;  
(h) the expiry date in clear terms (month/year); 
 (i) special storage precautions, if any;  (j) specific precautions relating to the disposal of unused medicinal products or waste derived 
from medicinal products, where appropriate, as 
well as reference to any appropriate collection system in place;  (k) the name and address of the marketing authorisation holder and, where applicable, the 
name of the representative appointed by the 
holder to represent him;  (l) the number of the authorization for placing the medicinal product on the market;  
(m) the manufacturer's batch number; 
 (n) in the case of non-prescription medicinal products, instructions for use.  
Article 55 
 1. The particulars laid down in Article 54 shall appear on immediate packagings other than those referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3.  
2. The following particulars at least shall appear 
on immediate packagings which take the form of blister packs and are placed in an outer packaging that complies with the requirements laid down in Articles 54 and 62: 
 
- the name of the medicinal product as laid down in point (a) of Article 54,  - the name of the holder of the authorization for 
placing the product on the market, 
 - the expiry date,  - the batch number.  
3. The following particulars at least shall appear 
on small immediate packaging units on which the particulars laid down in Articles 54 and 62 cannot be displayed:  
- the name of the medicinal product as laid down 
in point (a) of Article 54 and, if necessary, the route of administration,  - the method of administration,  
- the expiry date, 
 - the batch number,  - the contents by weight, by volume or by unit. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 42 - 
Article 56 
 
The particulars referred to in Articles 54, 55 and 62 shall be easily legible, clearly comprehensible and indelible.  
Article 56a 
 The name of the medicinal product, as referred to in Article 54, point (a) must also be expressed in Braille format on the packaging. The marketing authorisation holder shall ensure that 
the package information leaflet is made available 
on request from patients' organisations in formats appropriate for the blind and partially-sighted.  
Article 57 
 Notwithstanding Article 60, Member States may require the use of certain forms of labelling of the medicinal product making it possible to ascertain: 
 
- the price of the medicinal product,  - the reimbursement conditions of social security organizations, 
 
- the legal status for supply to the patient, in accordance with Title VI,  - identification and authenticity.  
For medicinal products authorised under 
Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, Member States shall, when applying this Article, observe the detailed guidance referred to in Article 65 of this Directive. 
 
Article 58 
 
The inclusion in the packaging of all medicinal products of a package leaflet shall be obligatory unless all the information required by Articles 59 
and 62 is directly conveyed on the outer 
packaging or on the immediate packaging.  Article 59 
 
1. The package leaflet shall be drawn up in 
accordance with the summary of the product characteristics; it shall include, in the following order:  (a) for the identification of the medicinal 
product: 
 
(i) the name of the medicinal product followed by its strength and pharmaceutical form, and, if appropriate, 
whether it is intended for babies, 
children or adults. The common name shall be included where the product contains only one active substance and if its name is an invented name;  
(ii) the pharmaco-therapeutic group or 
type of activity in terms easily comprehensible for the patient;  
(b) the therapeutic indications; 
 
(c) a list of information which is necessary before the medicinal product is taken:  
(i) contra-indications; 
 
(ii) appropriate precautions for use;  (iii) forms of interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, 
foodstuffs) which may affect the action 
of the medicinal product;  (iv) special warnings;  
(d) the necessary and usual instructions for proper use, and in particular:  
(i) the dosage,  (ii) the method and, if necessary, route 
of administration; 
 (iii) the frequency of administration, specifying if necessary the appropriate 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 43 -time at which the medicinal product may 
or must be administered;  
 
and, as appropriate, depending on the nature of 
the product; 
 (iv) the duration of treatment, where it should be limited; 
 
(v) the action to be taken in case of an overdose (such as symptoms, emergency procedures);  
(vi) what to do when one or more doses 
have not been taken;  (vii) indication, if necessary, of the risk of withdrawal effects;  
(viii) a specific recommendation to 
consult the doctor or the pharmacist, as appropriate, for any clarification on the use of the product;  
(e) a description of the adverse reactions which may occur under normal use of the medicinal product and, if necessary, the action to be taken in such a case; the patient should be expressly asked to communicate any adverse reaction 
which is not mentioned in the package leaflet to 
his doctor or pharmacist;  (f) a reference to the expiry date indicated on the label, with:  
(i) a warning against using the product after that date;  (ii) where appropriate, special storage precautions; 
 
(iii) if necessary, a warning concerning certain visible signs of deterioration;  (iv) the full qualitative composition (in active substances and excipients) and the 
quantitative composition in active 
substances, using common names, for each presentation of the medicinal product;  (v) for each presentation of the product, the pharmaceutical form and content in 
weight, volume or units of dosage; 
 (vi) the name and address of the marketing authorisation holder and, where applicable, the name of his appointed representatives in the Member 
States; 
 (vii) the name and address of the manufacturer;  
(g) where the medicinal product is authorised in accordance with Articles 28 to 39 under different names in the Member States concerned, a list of the names authorised in each Member State;  (h) the date on which the package leaflet was last 
revised. 
 2. The list set out in point (c) of paragraph 1 shall:  
(a) take into account the particular condition of 
certain categories of users (children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, the elderly, persons with specific pathological conditions);  
(b) mention, if appropriate, possible effects on 
the ability to drive vehicles or to operate machinery;  (c) list those excipients  knowledge of which is 
important for the safe and effective use of the 
medicinal product and which are included in the 
detailed guidance published pursuant to Article 65.  3. The package leaflet shall reflect the results of 
consultations with target patient groups to ensure 
that it is legible, clear and easy to use. 
 
Article 60 
 Member States may not prohibit or impede the 
placing on the market of medicinal products 
within their territory on grounds connected with labelling or the package leaflet where these comply with the requirements of this Title.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 44 -Article 61 
 
1. One or more mock-ups of the outer packaging 
and the immediate packaging of a medicinal product, together with the draft package leaflet, shall be submitted to the authorities competent for authorising marketing when the marketing authorisation is requested. The results of 
assessments carried out in cooperation with 
target patient groups shall also be provided to the 
competent authority.  2. The competent authority shall refuse the 
marketing authorization if the labelling or the 
package leaflet do not comply with the provisions of this Title or if they are not in accordance with the particulars listed in the summary of product characteristics.  
3. All proposed changes to an aspect of the 
labelling or the package leaflet covered by this Title and not connected with the summary of product characteristics shall be submitted to the authorities competent for authorizing marketing. 
If the competent authorities have not opposed a 
proposed change within 90 days following the introduction of the request, the applicant may put the change into effect.  
4. The fact that the competent authority does not 
refuse a marketing authorization pursuant to paragraph 2 or a change to the labelling or the package leaflet pursuant to paragraph 3 does not alter the general legal liability of the manufacturer and the marketing authorization 
holder. 
 
Article 62 
 The outer packaging and the package leaflet may 
include symbols or pictograms designed to 
clarify certain information mentioned in Articles 54 and 59(1) and other in formation compatible 
with the summary of th e product characteristics 
which is useful for the patient, to the exclusion of any element of a promotional nature. 
 
Article 63 
 
1. The particulars for labelling listed in Articles 54, 59 and 62 shall appear in the official language or languages of the Member State where the product is placed on the market. 
 
The first subparagraph shall not prevent these particulars from being indicated in several languages, provided that the same particulars appear in all the languages used.  
In the case of certain orphan medicinal products, 
the particulars listed in Article 54 may, on reasoned request, appear in only one of the official languages of the Community.  
2. The package leaflet must be written and 
designed to be clear and understandable, enabling the users to act appropriately, when necessary with the help of health professionals. The package leaflet must be  clearly legible in the 
official language or languages of the Member 
State in which the medicinal product is placed on 
the market.  The first subparagraph shall not prevent the package leaflet from being printed in several 
languages, provided that the same information is 
given in all the languages used.  3. When the product is not intended to be delivered directly to the patient, the competent 
authorities may grant an exemption to the 
obligation that certain particulars should appear on the labelling and in the package leaflet and that the leaflet must be in the official language or languages of the Member State in which the product is placed on the market. 
 
Article 64 
 
Where the provisions of this Title are not 
complied with, and a notice served on the person 
concerned has remained without effect, the 
competent authorities of the Member States may suspend the marketing authorization, until the labelling and the package leaflet of the medicinal product in question have been made to comply with the requirements of this Title. 
 
Article 65 
 
In consultation with the Member States and the parties concerned, the Commission shall draw up 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 45 -and publish detailed guidance concerning in 
particular: 
 
(a) the wording of certain special warnings for certain categories of medicinal products;  (b) the particular information needs relating to non-prescription medicinal products; 
 
(c) the legibility of particulars on the labelling and package leaflet;  (d) the methods for the identification and 
authentication of medicinal products; 
 (e) the list of excipients which must feature on the labelling of medicinal products and the way in which these excipients must be indicated;  
(f) harmonised provisions for the implementation 
of Article 57.  
Article 66 
 
1. The outer carton and the container of 
medicinal products containing radionuclides shall be labelled in accordance with the regulations for the safe transport of radioactive materials laid down by the International Atomic 
Energy Agency. Moreover, the labelling shall 
comply with the provisions set out in paragraphs 2 and 3.  2. The label on the shielding shall include the particulars mentioned in Article 54. In addition, 
the labelling on the shielding shall explain in 
full, the codings used on the vial and shall indicate, where necessary, for a given time and date, the amount of radioactivity per dose or per vial and the number of capsules, or, for liquids, 
the number of millilitres in the container. 
 3. The vial shall be labelled with the following information:  - the name or code of the medicinal product, 
including the name or chemical symbol of the 
radionuclide,  - the batch identification and expiry date,  - the international symbol for radioactivity,  
- the name and address of the manufacturer, 
 - the amount of radioactivity as specified in paragraph 2.  
Article 67 
 
The competent authority shall ensure that a detailed instruction leaflet is enclosed with the packaging of radiopharmaceuticals, radionuclide generators, radionuclide kits or radionuclide 
precursors. The text of this leaflet shall be established in accordance with the provisions of Article 59. In addition, the leaflet shall include any precautions to be taken by the user and the patient during the preparation and administration of the medicinal product and special precautions 
for the disposal of the packaging and its unused 
contents.  
Article 68 
 
Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 
69, homeopathic medicinal products shall be labelled in accordance with the provisions of this title and shall be identified by a reference on their labels, in clear and legible form, to their 
homeopathic nature. 
 
Article 69 
 1. In addition to the clear mention of the words ‘homeopathic medicinal product’, the labelling 
and, where appropriate, the package insert for 
the medicinal products referred to in Article 14(1) shall bear the following, and no other, information:  
- the scientific name of the stock or stocks 
followed by the degree of dilution, making use of the symbols of the pharmacopoeia used in accordance with Article 1(5); if the homeopathic medicinal product is composed of two or more stocks, the scientific names of the stocks on the 
labelling may be supplemented by an invented 
name,  - name and address of the registration holder and, where appropriate, of the manufacturer, 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 46 - 
- method of administration and, if necessary, 
route, 
 - expiry date, in clear terms (month, year),  - pharmaceutical form,  
- contents of the sales presentation, 
 - special storage precautions, if any,  - a special warning if necessary for the medicinal 
product, 
 - manufacturer's batch number,  - registration number,  
- ‘homeopathic medicinal product without 
approved therapeutic indications’,  - a warning advising the user to consult a doctor if the symptoms persist. 
 
2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, Member States may require the use of certain types of labelling in order to show:  
- the price of the medicinal product, 
 - the conditions for refunds by social security bodies.   
TITLE VI 
 
CLASSIFICATION OF MEDICINAL 
PRODUCTS 
 
Article 70 
 1. When a marketing authorization is granted, the competent authorities shall specify the classification of the medicinal product into:  
- a medicinal product subject to medical 
prescription,  - a medicinal product not subject to medical prescription.  To this end, the criteria laid down in Article 
71(1) shall apply. 
 2. The competent authorities may fix sub-categories for medicinal products which are available on medical prescription only. In that case, they shall refer to the following 
classification: 
 (a) medicinal products on medical prescription for renewable or non-renewable delivery;  
(b) medicinal products subj ect to special medical 
prescription; 
 (c) medicinal products on “restricted” medical prescription, reserved for use in certain specialised areas.  
 
Article 71 
 
1. Medicinal products shall be subject to medical prescription where they: 
 
- are likely to present a danger either directly or indirectly, even when used correctly, if utilized without medical supervision, or  
- are frequently and to a very wide extent used 
incorrectly, and as a result are likely to present a direct or indirect danger to human health, or  - contain substances or preparations thereof, the activity and/or adverse reactions of which 
require further investigation, or 
 - are normally prescribed by a doctor to be administered parenterally.  
2. Where Member States provide for the sub-
category of medicinal products subject to special medical prescription, they shall take account of the following factors:  - the medicinal product contains, in a non-
exempt quantity, a substance classified as a 
narcotic or a psychotropic substance within the meaning of the international conventions in force, such as the United Nations Conventions of 1961 and 1971, or 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 47 - 
- the medicinal product is likely, if incorrectly 
used, to present a substantial risk of medicinal 
abuse, to lead to addiction or be misused for illegal purposes, or  - the medicinal product contains a substance which, by reason of its novelty or properties, 
could be considered as belonging to the group 
envisaged in the second indent as a precautionary measure.  3. Where Member States provide for the sub-
category of medicinal products subject to 
restricted prescription, they shall take account of the following factors:  - the medicinal product, because of its pharmaceutical characteristics or novelty or in 
the interests of public health, is reserved for 
treatments which can only be followed in a hospital environment,  - the medicinal product is used in the treatment 
of conditions which must be diagnosed in a hospital environment or in institutions with adequate diagnostic facilities, although administration and follow-up may be carried out elsewhere, or 
 
- the medicinal product is intended for outpatients but its use may produce very serious adverse reactions requiring a prescription drawn up as required by a specialist and special supervision throughout the treatment. 
 
4. A competent authority may waive application of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 having regard to:  (a) the maximum single dose, the maximum 
daily dose, the strength, the pharmaceutical 
form, certain types of packaging; and/or  (b) other circumstances of use which it has specified.  
5. If a competent authority does not designate 
medicinal products into sub-categories referred to in Article 70(2), it sha ll nevertheless take into 
account the criteria referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article in  determining whether any medicinal product shall be classified as a prescription-only medicine. 
 
Article 72 
 
Medicinal products not subject to prescription 
shall be those which do not meet the criteria listed in Article 71. 
 
Article 73 
 
The competent authorities shall draw up a list of the medicinal products subject, on their territory, 
to medical prescription, specifying, if necessary, 
the category of classification. They shall update this list annually.  
Article 74 
 
When new facts are brought to their attention, 
the competent authorities shall examine and, as appropriate, amend the classification of a medicinal product by applying the criteria listed in Article 71. 
 
Article 74a 
 
Where a change of classification of a medicinal product has been authorised on the basis of 
significant pre-clinical tests or clinical trials, the 
competent authority shall not refer to the results of those tests or trials when examining an application by another applicant for or holder of marketing authorisation for a change of classification of the same substance for one year 
after the initial change was authorised. 
 
Article 75 
 Each year, Member States shall communicate to 
the Commission and to the other Member States, 
the changes that have been made to the list referred to in Article 73.   
 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 48 -TITLE VII 
 
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION OF 
MEDICINAL PRODUCTS 
 
Article 76 
 
1. Without prejudice to Article 6, Member States 
shall take all appropriate action to ensure that 
only medicinal products in respect of which a marketing authorization has been granted in accordance with Community law are distributed on their territory. 
 
2. In the case of wholesale distribution and storage, medicinal products shall be covered by a marketing authorisation granted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 or by the competent authorities of a Member State in 
accordance with this Directive. 
 3. Any distributor, not being the marketing authorisation holder, who imports a product from another Member State, shall notify the marketing 
authorisation holder and the competent authority 
in the Member State to which the product will be imported of his intention to import it. In the case of products which have not been granted an authorisation pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 
726/2004, the notification to the competent 
authority shall be without prejudice to additional procedures provided for in the legislation of that Member State.  
Article 77 
 1. Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the wholesale distribution of medicinal products is subject to the possession of an authorization to engage in 
activity as a wholesaler in medicinal products, 
stating the place for which it is valid.  2. Where persons authori zed or entitled to supply 
medicinal products to the public may also, under national law, engage in wholesale business, such 
persons shall be subject to the authorization 
provided for in paragraph 1.  3. Possession of a manufacturing authorization shall include authorization to distribute by wholesale the medicinal products covered by that authorization. Possession of an authorization 
to engage in activity as a wholesaler in medicinal 
products shall not give dispensation from the obligation to possess a manufacturing authorization and to comply with the conditions set out in that respect, even where the manufacturing or import business is secondary. 
 
4. At the request of the Commission or any Member State, Member States shall supply all appropriate information concerning the individual authorizations which they have 
granted under paragraph 1. 
 5. Checks on the persons authorized to engage in the activity of wholesaler in medicinal products and the inspection of their premises shall be carried out under the responsibility of the 
Member State which granted the authorization. 
 6. The Member State which granted the authorization referred to in paragraph 1 shall suspend or revoke that authorization if the 
conditions of authorization cease to be met. It 
shall forthwith inform the other Member States and the Commission thereof.  7. Should a Member State consider that, in 
respect of a person holding an authorization 
granted by another Member State under the terms of paragraph 1, the conditions of authorization are not, or are no longer met, it shall forthwith inform the Commission and the other Member State involved. The latter shall 
take the measures necessary and shall inform the 
Commission and the first Member State of the decisions taken and the reasons for those decisions.  
Article 78 
 Member States shall ensure that the time taken for the procedure for examining the application for the distribution authorization does not exceed 90 days from the day on which the competent 
authority of the Member State concerned 
receives the application.  The competent authority may, if need be, require the applicant to supply all necessary information 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 49 -concerning the conditions of authorization. 
Where the authority exercises this option, the 
period laid down in the first paragraph shall be 
suspended until the requisite  additional data have 
been supplied.  
Article 79 
 
In order to obtain the distribution authorization, 
applicants must fulfil the following minimum requirements:  (a) they must have suitable and adequate 
premises, installations and equipment, so as to 
ensure proper conservation and distribution of the medicinal products;  (b) they must have staff, and in particular, a qualified person designated as responsible, 
meeting the conditions provided for by the 
legislation of the Member State concerned;  (c) they must undertake to fulfil the obligations incumbent on them under the terms of Article 
80.  
 
Article 80 
 
Holders of the distribution authorization must 
fulfil the following minimum requirements: 
 (a) they must make the premises, installations and equipment referred to in Article 79(a) accessible at all times to the persons responsible for inspecting them; 
 
(b) they must obtain their supplies of medicinal products only from persons who are themselves in possession of the distribution authorization or who are exempt from obtaining such 
authorization under the terms of Article 77(3); 
 (c) they must supply medicinal products only to persons who are themselves in possession of the distribution authorization or who are authorized or entitled to supply medicinal products to the 
public in the Member State concerned; 
 (d) they must have an emergency plan which ensures effective implementation of any recall from the market ordered by the competent authorities or carried out in cooperation with the manufacturer or marketing authorization holder 
for the medicinal product concerned; 
 (e) they must keep records either in the form of purchase/sales invoices, or on computer, or in any other form, giving for any transaction in medicinal products received or dispatched at 
least the following information: 
 
- date,  - name of the medicinal product, 
 
- quantity received or supplied,  - name and address of the supplier or consignee, as appropriate;  
(f) they must keep the records referred to under (e) available to the competent authorities, for inspection purposes, for a period of five years;  (g) they must comply with the principles and 
guidelines of good distribution practice for 
medicinal products as laid down in Article 84.  
Article 81 
 
With regard to the supply of medicinal products 
to pharmacists and persons authorised or entitled to supply medicinal products to the public, Member States shall not impose upon the holder of a distribution authorisation which has been granted by another Member State any obligation, 
in particular public service obligations, more 
stringent than those they impose on persons whom they have themselves authorised to engage in equivalent activities.  
The holder of a marketing authorisation for a 
medicinal product and the distributors of the said medicinal product actually placed on the market in a Member State shall, within the limits of their responsibilities, ensure appropriate and continued supplies of that medicinal product to 
pharmacies and persons authorised to supply 
medicinal products so that the needs of patients in the Member State in question are covered.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 50 -The arrangements for implementing this Article 
should, moreover, be justified on grounds of 
public health protection and be proportionate in 
relation to the objective of such protection, in compliance with the Treaty rules, particularly those concerning the free movement of goods and competition.  
Article 82 
 For all supplies of medicinal products to a person authorized or entitled to supply medicinal products to the public in the Member State 
concerned, the authorized wholesaler must 
enclose a document that makes it possible to ascertain:  - the date,  
- the name and pharmaceutical form of the 
medicinal product,  - the quantity supplied,  
- the name and address of the supplier and 
consignor.  Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons authorized or 
entitled to supply medicinal products to the 
public are able to provide information that makes it possible to trace the distribution path of every medicinal product.  
Article 83 
 The provisions of this Title shall not prevent the application of more stringent requirements laid down by Member States in respect of the wholesale distribution of: 
 
- narcotic or psychotropic substances within their territory,  - medicinal products derived from blood,  
- immunological medicinal products, 
 - radiopharmaceuticals.  
Article 84  The Commission shall publish guidelines on 
good distribution practice. To this end, it shall 
consult the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and the Pharmaceutical Committee established by Council Decision 75/320/EEC
30. 
 
Article 85 
 This Title shall apply to homeopathic medicinal products.   
 
TITLE VIII 
 
ADVERTISING 
 
Article 86 
 
1. For the purposes of this Title, ‘advertising of 
medicinal products’ shall include any form of door-to-door information, canvassing activity or inducement designed to promote the prescription, supply, sale or consumption of medicinal products; it shall include in particular: 
 
- the advertising of medicinal products to the general public,  - advertising of medicinal products to persons 
qualified to prescribe or supply them, 
 - visits by medical sales representatives to persons qualified to prescribe medicinal products,  
- the supply of samples, 
 - the provision of inducements to prescribe or supply medicinal products by the gift, offer or promise of any benefit or bonus, whether in 
money or in kind, except when their intrinsic 
value is minimal,  - sponsorship of promo tional meetings attended 
by persons qualified to prescribe or supply 
medicinal products, 
 
                                                 
30 OJ L 147, 9.6.1975, p. 23. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 51 -- sponsorship of scientific congresses attended 
by persons qualified to prescribe or supply 
medicinal products and in particular payment of 
their travelling and accommodation expenses in connection therewith.  2. The following are not covered by this Title:  
- the labelling and the accompanying package 
leaflets, which are subject to the provisions of Title V,  - correspondence, possibly accompanied by 
material of a non-promotional nature, needed to 
answer a specific question about a particular medicinal product,  - factual, informative announcements and reference material relating, for example, to pack 
changes, adverse-reaction warnings as part of 
general drug precautions, trade catalogues and price lists, provided they include no product claims,  
- information relating to human health or 
diseases, provided that there is no reference, even indirect, to medicinal products.  
Article 87 
 1. Member States shall prohibit any advertising of a medicinal product in respect of which a marketing authorization has not been granted in accordance with Community law.  
2. All parts of the advertising of a medicinal 
product must comply with the particulars listed in the summary of product characteristics.  3. The advertising of a medicinal product: 
 
- shall encourage the rational use of the medicinal product, by presenting it objectively and without exaggerating its properties,  - shall not be misleading. 
 Article 88 
 
1. Member States shall prohibit the advertising 
to the general public of medicinal products which:  (a) are available on medical prescription only, in accordance with Title VI; 
 
(b) contain substances defined as psychotropic or narcotic by international convention, such as the United Nations Conventions of 1961 and 1971.  
2. Medicinal products may be advertised to the 
general public which, by virtue of their composition and purpose, are intended and designed for use without the intervention of a medical practitioner for diagnostic purposes or for the prescription or monitoring of treatment, 
with the advice of the pharmacist, if necessary. 
 3. Member States shall be entitled to ban, on their territory, advertising to the general public of medicinal products the cost of which may be 
reimbursed. 
 4. The prohibition contained in paragraph 1 shall not apply to vaccination campaigns carried out by the industry and approved by the competent 
authorities of the Member States. 
 5. The prohibition referred to in paragraph 1 shall apply without prejudice to Article 14 of Directive 89/552/EEC.  
6. Member States shall prohibit the direct 
distribution of medicinal products to the public by the industry for promotional purposes.  
 
TITLE VIIIa 
 
INFORMATION AND ADVERTISING 
 
Article 88a 
 Within three years of the entry into force of 
Directive 2004/726/EC, the Commission shall, 
following consultations with patients' and consumers' organisations, doctors' and pharmacists' organisations, Member States and 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 52 -other interested parties, present to the European 
Parliament and the Council a report on current 
practice with regard to information provision — 
particularly on the Internet — and its risks and benefits for patients.  Following analysis of the above data, the Commission shall, if appropriate, put forward 
proposals setting out an information strategy to 
ensure good-quality, objective, reliable and non-promotional information on medicinal products and other treatments and shall address the question of the information source's liability. 
 
Article 89 
 
1. Without prejudice to Article 88, all advertising to the general public of a medicinal product shall: 
 
(a) be set out in such a way that it is clear that the message is an advertisement and that the product is clearly identified as a medicinal product; 
 
(b) include the following minimum information:  - the name of the medicinal product, as well as the common name if the medicinal product 
contains only one active substance, 
 - the information necessary for correct use of the medicinal product,  - an express, legible invitation to read carefully 
the instructions on the package leaflet or on the 
outer packaging, as the case may be.  2. Member States may decide that the advertising of a medicinal product to the general 
public may, notwithstanding paragraph 1, 
include only the name of the medicinal product or its international non-proprietary name, where this exists, or the trademark if it is intended solely as a reminder.   
Article 90 
 The advertising of a medicinal product to the general public shall not contain any material which:  (a) gives the impression that a medical 
consultation or surgical operation is unnecessary, 
in particular by offering a diagnosis or by suggesting treatment by mail;  (b) suggests that the effects of taking the medicine are guaranteed, are unaccompanied by 
adverse reactions or are better than, or equivalent 
to, those of another treatment or medicinal product;  (c) suggests that the health of the subject can be 
enhanced by taking the medicine; 
 (d) suggests that the health of the subject could be affected by not taking the medicine; this prohibition shall not apply to the vaccination campaigns referred to in Article 88(4); 
 
(e) is directed exclusively or principally at children;  (f) refers to a recommendation by scientists, 
health professionals or persons who are neither 
of the foregoing but who, because of their celebrity, could encourage the consumption of medicinal products;  
(g) suggests that the medicinal product is a 
foodstuff, cosmetic or other consumer product; 
 (h) suggests that the safety or efficacy of the medicinal product is due to the fact that it is natural; 
 
(i) could, by a description or detailed representation of a case history, lead to erroneous self-diagnosis;  
(j) refers, in improper, alarming or misleading 
terms, to claims of recovery;  (k) uses, in improper, alarming or misleading terms, pictorial representations of changes in the human body caused by disease or injury, or of 
the action of a medicinal product on the human 
body or parts thereof.   
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 53 -Article 91 
 
 
1. Any advertising of a medicinal product to persons qualified to prescribe or supply such products shall include:  - essential information compatible with the 
summary of product characteristics; 
 - the supply classification of the medicinal product.  
Member States may also require such advertising 
to include the selling price or indicative price of the various presentations and the conditions for reimbursement by social security bodies.  2. Member States may decide that the 
advertising of a medicinal product to persons 
qualified to prescribe or supply such products may, notwithstanding paragraph 1, include only the name of the medicinal product, or its international non-proprietary name, where this 
exists, or the trademark, if it is intended solely as 
a reminder.  
Article 92 
 
1. Any documentation relating to a medicinal 
product which is transmitted as part of the promotion of that product to persons qualified to prescribe or supply it shall include, as a minimum, the particulars listed in Article 91(1) and shall state the date on which it was drawn up 
or last revised. 
 2. All the information contained in the documentation referred to in  paragraph 1 shall be 
accurate, up-to-date, verifiable and sufficiently 
complete to enable the recipient to form his or 
her own opinion of the therapeutic value of the medicinal product concerned.  3. Quotations as well as tables and other illustrative matter taken from medical journals or 
other scientific works for use in the 
documentation referred to in  paragraph 1 shall be 
faithfully reproduced and the precise sources indicated.  Article 93 
 
1. Medical sales representatives shall be given 
adequate training by the firm which employs them and shall have sufficient scientific knowledge to be able to provide information which is precise and as complete as possible about the medicinal products which they 
promote. 
 2. During each visit, medical sales representatives shall give the persons visited, or have available for them, summaries of the 
product characteristics of each medicinal product 
they present together, if the legislation of the Member State so permits, with details of the price and conditions for reimbursement referred to in Article 91(1).  
3. Medical sales representatives shall transmit to 
the scientific service referred to in Article 98(1) any information about the use of the medicinal products they advertise, with particular reference to any adverse reactions reported to them by the 
persons they visit. 
 
Article 94 
 1. Where medicinal products are being promoted 
to persons qualified to prescribe or supply them, 
no gifts, pecuniary advantag es or benefits in kind 
may be supplied, offered or promised to such persons unless they are inexpensive and relevant to the practice of medicine or pharmacy.  
2. Hospitality at sales promotion events shall 
always be strictly limited to their main purpose and must not be extended to persons other than health-care professionals.  
3. Persons qualified to prescribe or supply 
medicinal products shall not solicit or accept any inducement prohibited under paragraph 1 or contrary to paragraph 2.  4. Existing measures or trade practices in 
Member States relating to prices, margins and 
discounts shall not be affect ed by paragraphs 1, 2 
and 3.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 54 -Article 95 
 
The provisions of Article 94(1) shall not prevent 
hospitality being offered, directly or indirectly, at events for purely pr ofessional and scientific 
purposes; such hospitality shall always be strictly limited to the main scientific objective of the event; it must not be extended to persons 
other than health-care professionals. 
 
Article 96 
 1. Free samples shall be provided on an 
exceptional basis only to persons qualified to 
prescribe them and on the following conditions:  (a) the number of samples for each medicinal product each year on prescription shall be limited; 
 
(b) any supply of samples shall be in response to a written request, signed and dated, from the prescribing agent;  
(c) those supplying samples shall maintain an 
adequate system of control and accountability;  (d) each sample shall be no larger than the smallest presentation on the market; 
 
(e) each sample shall be marked ‘free medical sample – not for sale’ or shall show some other wording having the same meaning;  (f) each sample shall be accompanied by a copy 
of the summary of product characteristics; 
 (g) no samples of medicinal products containing psychotropic or narcotic substances within the meaning of international conventions, such as 
the United Nations Conventions of 1961 and 
1971, may be supplied.  2. Member States may also place further restrictions on the distribution of samples of certain medicinal products. 
 
Article 97 
 
1. Member States shall ensure that there are adequate and effective methods to monitor the advertising of medicinal products. Such methods, which may be based on a system of 
prior vetting, shall in any event include legal 
provisions under which pe rsons or organizations 
regarded under national law as having a legitimate interest in prohibiting any advertisement inconsistent with this Title, may take legal action against such advertisement, or 
bring such advertisement before administrative 
authority competent either to decide on complaints or to initiate appropriate legal proceedings.  
2. Under the legal provisions referred to in 
paragraph 1, Member States shall confer upon the courts or administrative authorities powers enabling them, in cases where they deem such measures to be necessary, taking into account all the interests involved, and in particular the 
public interest: 
 - to order the cessation of, or to institute appropriate legal proceedings for an order for the cessation of, misleading advertising, or 
 
- if misleading advertising has not yet been published but publication is  imminent, to order 
the prohibition of, or to institute appropriate legal proceedings for an order for the prohibition 
of, such publication,   even without proof of actual loss or damage or of intention or negligence on the part of the advertiser.  
3. Member States shall make provision for the 
measures referred to in the second subparagraph 
to be taken under an accelerated procedure, either with interim effect or with definitive effect. 
 
It shall be for each Member State to decide which of the two options set out in the first subparagraph to select.  4. Member States may confer upon the courts or 
administrative authorities powers enabling them, 
with a view to eliminating the continuing effects of misleading advertising the cessation of which has been ordered by a final decision:  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 55 -- to require publication of that decision in full or 
in part and in such form as they deem adequate, 
 
- to require in addition the publication of a corrective statement.   5. Paragraphs 1 to 4 shall not exclude the voluntary control of advertising of medicinal 
products by self-regulatory bodies and recourse 
to such bodies, if proceedings before such bodies are possible in addition to the judicial or administrative proceedings referred to in paragraph 1. 
 
Article 98 
 
1. The marketing authorization holder shall establish, within his undertaking, a scientific service in charge of information about the 
medicinal products which he places on the 
market.  2. The marketing authorization holder shall:  
- keep available for, or communicate to, the 
authorities or bodies responsible for monitoring advertising of medicinal products, a sample of all advertisements emanating from his 
undertaking together with a statement indicating 
the persons to whom it is addressed, the method 
of dissemination and the date of first dissemination,  - ensure that advertisi ng of medicinal products 
by his undertaking conforms to the requirements 
of this Title, 
 - verify that medical sales representatives employed by his undertaking have been adequately trained and fulfil the obligations 
imposed upon them by Article 93(2) and (3), 
 - supply the authorities or bodies responsible for monitoring advertising of medicinal products with the information and assistance they require to carry out their responsibilities, 
 
- ensure that the decisions taken by the authorities or bodies responsible for monitoring advertising of medicinal products are immediately and fully complied with.  3. The Member States shall not prohibit the co-
promotion of a medicinal product by the holder 
of the marketing authorisation and one or more companies nominated by him.  
Article 99 
 
Member States shall take the appropriate 
measures to ensure that the provisions of this Title are applied and shall determine in particular what penalties shall be imposed should the provisions adopted in the execution of Title be 
infringed. 
 
Article 100 
 Advertising of the homeopathic medicinal products referred to in Article 14(1) shall be 
subject to the provisions of this Title with the exception of Article 87(1).  However, only the information specified in Article 69(1) may be used in the advertising of 
such medicinal products. 
  
TITLE IX 
 
PHARMACOVIGILANCE 
 
Article 101 
 The Member States shall take all appropriate measures to encourage doctors and other health 
care professionals to report suspected adverse 
reactions to the competent authorities.  The Member States may impose specific requirements on doctors and other health-care 
professionals in respect of the reporting of 
suspected serious or unexpected adverse reactions.  
Article 102 
 
In order to ensure the adoption of appropriate 
and harmonised regulatory decisions concerning the medicinal products authorised within the Community, having regard to information obtained about adverse reactions to medicinal 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 56 -products under normal conditions of use, the 
Member States shall operate a 
pharmacovigilance system. This system shall be 
used to collect information useful in the surveillance of medicinal products, with particular reference to adverse reactions in human beings, and to evaluate such information scientifically. 
 
Member States shall ensure that suitable information collected within this system is communicated to the other Member States and the Agency. The informati on shall be recorded in 
the database referred to in point (l) of the second subparagraph of Article 57(1) of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 and shall be permanently accessible to all Member States and without delay to the public.  
This system shall also take into account any 
available information on misuse and abuse of medicinal products which may have an impact 
on the evaluation of their benefits and risks.  
Article 102a 
 The management of funds intended for activities connected with pharmaco vigilance, the operation 
of communication networks and market 
surveillance shall be under the permanent control 
of the competent authorities in order to guarantee their independence.  
Article 103 
 
The marketing authorization holder shall have 
permanently and continuously at his disposal an appropriately qualified person responsible for 
pharmacovigilance.  
That qualified person shall reside in the 
Community and shall be responsible for the following:  (a) the establishment and maintenance of a system which ensures that  information about all 
suspected adverse reactions which are reported to the personnel of the company, and to medical representatives, is collected and collated in order to be accessible at least at one point within the Community;  (b) the preparation for the competent authorities 
of the reports referred to in Article 104, in such 
form as may be laid down by those authorities, in accordance with the guidance referred to in Article 106(1);  (c) ensuring that any request from the competent 
authorities for the provision of additional 
information necessary for the evaluation of the benefits and risks afforded by a medicinal product is answered fully and promptly, including the provision of information about the 
volume of sales or prescriptions of the medicinal 
product concerned;  (d) the provision to the competent authorities, of any other information relevant to the evaluation of the benefits and risks afforded by a medicinal 
product, including appropriate information on 
post-authorization safety studies.  
Article 104 
 
1. The marketing authorisation holder shall be 
required to maintain detailed records of all suspected adverse reactions occurring either in the Community or in a third country.  
Save in exceptional circumstances, these 
reactions shall be communicated electronically in the form of a report in accordance with the guidelines referred to in Article 106(1).  2. The marketing authorisation holder shall be 
required to record all suspected serious adverse 
reactions which are brought to his attention by a health-care professional and to report them promptly to the competent authority of the Member State on whose territory the incident 
occurred and no later than 15 days following the 
receipt of the information.  3. The marketing authorisation holder shall be required to record and report all other suspected serious adverse reactions which meet the 
notification criteria in accordance with the 
guidelines referred to in Article 106(1), of which he can reasonably be expected to have knowledge, promptly to the competent authority of the Member State in whose territory the 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 57 -incident occurred, and no later than 15 days 
following the receipt of the information. 
 
4. The marketing authorisation holder shall ensure that all suspected serious unexpected adverse reactions and any suspected transmission via a medicinal product of any infectious agent occurring in the territory of a third country are 
reported promptly in accordance with the 
guidelines referred to in Article 106(1), so that the Agency and the competent authorities of the Member States in which the medicinal product is authorised are informed of them, and no later 
than 15 days following the receipt of the 
information.  5. By way of derogation from paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, in the case of medicinal products which are covered by Directive 87/22/EEC or which 
have qualified for the procedures laid down in 
Articles 28 and 29 of this Directive or which have been the subject of the procedures under Articles 32, 33 and 34 of this Directive, the marketing authorisation holder shall also ensure 
that all suspected serious adverse reactions 
occurring in the Community are reported in such a way as to be accessible to the reference Member State or to any competent authority acting as reference Member State. The reference 
Member State shall assume the responsibility of 
analysing and monitoring such adverse reactions.  6. Unless other requirements have been laid down as a condition for the granting of the marketing authorisation, or subsequently as 
indicated in the guidelines referred to in Article 
106(1), reports of all adverse reactions shall be 
submitted to the competent authorities in the form of a periodic safety update report, immediately upon request or at least every six 
months after authorisation and until the placing 
on the market. Periodic safety update reports shall also be submitted immediately upon request or at least every six months during the first two years following the initial placing on the market and once a year for the following two 
years. Thereafter, the reports shall be submitted 
at three-yearly intervals, or immediately upon request.  The periodic safety update reports shall include a scientific evaluation of the risk-benefit balance 
of the medicinal product. 
 7. The Commission may lay down provisions to amend paragraph 6 in view of experience gained through its operation. The Commission shall adopt the provisions in accordance with the 
procedure referred to in Article 121(2). 
 8. Following the granting of a marketing authorisation, the marketing authorisation holder may request the amendment of the periods 
referred to in paragraph 6 in accordance with the 
procedure laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1084/2003
31. 
 9. The holder of a marketing authorisation may not communicate information relating to 
pharmacovigilance concer ns to the general 
public in relation to its authorised medicinal 
product without giving prior or simultaneous notification to the competent authority.  
In any case, the marketing authorisation holder 
shall ensure that such information is presented objectively and is not misleading.  Member States shall take the necessary measures 
to ensure that a marketing authorisation holder 
who fails to discharge these obligations is subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties.  
Article 105 
 1. The Agency, in collaboration with the Member States and the Commission, shall set up a data-processing network to facilitate the exchange of pharmacovigilance information 
regarding medicinal products marketed in the 
Community in order to allow all competent authorities to share the information at the same time.  2. Making use of the network referred to in 
paragraph 1, Member States shall ensure that 
reports of suspected serious adverse reactions that have taken place on their territory are 
                                                 
31 OJ L 159, 27.6.2003, p. 1. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 58 -promptly made available to the Agency and the 
other Member States, and in any case within 15 
days after their notification at the latest. 
 3. The Member States shall ensure that reports of suspected serious adverse reactions that have taken place on their territory are promptly made available to the marketing authorisation holder 
and in any case within 15 days after their 
notification at the latest.  
Article 106 
 
1. In order to facilitate the exchange of 
information on pharmacovigilance within the Community, the Commission, after consulting the Agency, the Member States and interested parties, shall draw up guidelines on the collection, verification and presentation of 
adverse reaction reports, including technical 
requirements for electronic exchange of pharmacovigilance information in accordance with internationally agreed formats, and shall publish a reference to an internationally agreed 
medical terminology. 
 Acting in accordance with the guidelines, marketing authorisation holders shall use internationally agreed medical terminology for 
the reporting of adverse reactions. 
 These guidelines shall be published in Volume 9 of The Rules governing Medicinal Products in the European Community and shall take account of international harmonisation work carried out 
in the field of pharmacovigilance. 
 2. For the interpretation of the definitions referred to in points (11) to (16) of Article 1 and of the principles outlined in this Title, the 
marketing authorisation holder and the 
competent authorities shall follow the guidelines referred to in paragraph 1.  
Article 107 
 
1. Where, as a result of the evaluation of 
pharmacovigilance data, a Member State considers that a marketing authorisation should be suspended, revoked or varied in accordance with the guidelines referred to in Article 106(1), it shall forthwith inform the Agency, the other Member States and the marketing authorisation 
holder. 
 2. Where urgent action to protect public health is necessary, the Member State concerned may suspend the marketing authorisation of a medicinal product, provided that the Agency, the 
Commission and the other Member States are 
informed no later than the following working day.  When the Agency is in formed in accordance 
with paragraph 1 in relation to suspensions and revocation, or the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the Committee shall prepare an opinion within a time-frame to be determined depending on the urgency of the matter. In relation to variations, the Committee may upon 
request from a Member State prepare an opinion. 
 Acting on the basis of this opinion, the Commission may request all Member States in which the product is being marketed to take 
temporary measures immediately. 
 The final measures shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 121(3). 
 
Article 108 
 
Any amendments which may be necessary to update provisions of Articles 101 to 107 to take account of scientific and technical progress shall 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure 
referred to in Article 121(2).  
 
TITLE X 
 
SPECIAL PROVISIONS ON MEDICINAL 
PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM HUMAN 
BLOOD AND PLASMA 
 
Article 109 
 
For the collection and testing of human blood 
and human plasma, Directive 2002/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 setting standards of quality and 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 59 -safety for the collection, testing, processing, 
storage and distribution of human blood and 
blood components and amending Directive 
2001/83/EC32 shall apply. 
 
Article 110 
 Member States shall take the necessary measures 
to promote Community self-sufficiency in 
human blood or human plasma. For this purpose, they shall encourage the voluntary unpaid donation of blood and plasma and shall take the necessary measures to develop the production 
and use of products derived from human blood 
or human plasma coming from voluntary unpaid donations. They shall notify the Commission of such measures.   
TITLE XI 
 
SUPERVISION AND SANCTIONS  
 
Article 111 
 1. The competent authority of the Member State concerned shall ensure, by means of repeated inspections, and if necessary unannounced inspections, and, where appropriate, by asking an 
Official Medicines Control Laboratory or a 
laboratory designated for that purpose to carry out tests on samples, that the legal requirements governing medicinal products are complied with.  The competent authority may also carry out 
unannounced inspections at the premises of 
manufacturers of active substances used as starting materials, or at the premises of marketing authorisation holders whenever it considers that there are grounds for suspecting 
non-compliance with the principles and 
guidelines of good manufacturing practice referred to in Article 47. These inspections may also be carried out at the request of a Member State, the Commission or the Agency.  
In order to verify whether the data submitted in 
order to obtain a conformity certificate comply 
                                                 
32 OJ L 33, 8.2.2003, p. 30. 
 with the monographs of the European Pharmacopoeia, the standardisation body of the 
nomenclatures and the quality norms within the 
meaning of the Convention relating to the elaboration of the European Pharmacopoeia
33 
(European Directorate for the quality of Medicinal Products) may ask the Commission or the Agency to request su ch an inspection when 
the starting material concerned is the subject of a European Pharmacopoeia monograph.  The competent authority of the Member State concerned may carry out inspections of starting 
material manufacturers at the specific request of 
the manufacturer himself.  Such inspections shall be carried out by officials representing the competent authority that shall be empowered to: 
 
(a) inspect the manufacturing or commercial establishments of manufacturers of medicinal products or of active substances used as starting materials, and any laboratories employed by the 
holder of the manufacturing authorisation to 
carry out checks pursuant to Article 20;  (b) take samples including with a view to independent tests being carried out by an Official 
Medicines Control Laboratory or a laboratory 
designated for that purpose by a Member State;  (c) examine any documents relating to the object of the inspection, subject to the provisions in force in the Member States on 21 May 1975 
placing restrictions on these powers with regard 
to the description of the manufacturing method;  (d) inspect the premises, records and documents of marketing authorisation holders or any firms 
employed by the marketing authorisation holder 
to perform the activities described in Title IX, and in particular Articles 103 and 104.  2. Member States shall take all appropriate steps to ensure that the manufacturing processes used 
in the manufacture of immunological products 
are properly validated and attain batch-to-batch consistency. 
                                                 
33 OJ L 158, 25.6.1994, p. 19. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 60 - 
3. After every inspection as referred to in 
paragraph 1, the officials representing the 
competent authority shall report on whether the manufacturer complies with the principles and guidelines of good manufacturing practice laid down in Article 47 or, where appropriate, with the requirements laid down in Articles 101 to 
108. The content of such reports shall be 
communicated to the manufacturer or marketing authorisation holder who has undergone the inspection.  
4. Without prejudice to any arrangements which 
may have been concluded between the Community and third countries, a Member State, the Commission or the Agency may require a manufacturer established in a third country to submit to an inspection as referred to in 
paragraph 1. 
 5. Within 90 days of an inspection as referred to in paragraph 1, a certificate of good manufacturing practice shall be issued to a 
manufacturer if the outcome of the inspection 
shows that the manufacturer complies with the principles and guidelines of good manufacturing practice as provided for by Community legislation. 
 
If inspections are performed as part of the certification procedure for the monographs of the European Pharmacopoeia, a certificate shall be drawn up.  
6. Member States shall enter the certificates of 
good manufacturing practice which they issue in a Community database managed by the Agency on behalf of the Community.  
7. If the outcome of the inspection as referred to 
in paragraph 1 is that the manufacturer does not comply with the principles and guidelines of good manufacturing practice as provided for by Community legislation, the information shall be entered in the Community database as referred to 
in paragraph 6. 
 Article 112 
 
Member States shall take all appropriate 
measures to ensure that  the holder of the 
marketing authorization for a medicinal product and, where appropriate, the holder of the manufacturing authorization, furnish proof of the controls carried out on the medicinal product 
and/or the ingredients and of the controls carried 
out at an intermediate stage of the manufacturing process, in accordance with the methods laid down in Article 8(3)(h).  
Article 113 
 For the purpose of implementing Article 112, Member States may require manufacturers of immunological products to submit to a competent authority copies of all the control 
reports signed by the qualified person in 
accordance with Article 51.  
Article 114 
 
1. Where it considers it necessary in the interests 
of public health, a Member State may require the holder of an authorization for marketing:  - live vaccines, 
 
- immunological medicinal products used in the primary immunization of infants or of other groups at risk,  - immunological medicinal products used in 
public health immunization programmes, 
 - new immunological medicinal products or immunological medicinal products manufactured using new or altered kinds  of technology or new 
for a particular manufacturer, during a transitional period normally specified in the marketing authorization,  to submit samples from each batch of the bulk and/or the medicinal product for examination by 
an Official Medicines Control Laboratory or a 
laboratory that a Member State has designated for that purpose before release on to the market unless, in the case of a batch manufactured in another Member State, the competent authority 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 61 -of that Member State has previously examined 
the batch in question and declared it to be in 
conformity with the approved specifications. 
Member States shall ensure that any such examination is completed within 60 days of the receipt of the samples.  2. Where, in the interests of public health, the 
laws of a Member State so provide, the 
competent authorities may require the marketing authorization holder for medicinal products derived from human blood or human plasma to submit samples from each batch of the bulk 
and/or the medicinal product for testing by an 
Official Medicines Control Laboratory or a laboratory that a Member State has designated for that purpose before being released into free circulation, unless the competent authorities of another Member State have previously examined 
the batch in question and declared it to be in 
conformity with the approved specifications. Member States shall ensure that any such examination is completed within 60 days of the receipt of the samples. 
 
Article 115 
 
Member States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that the manufacturing and purifying 
processes used in the preparation of medicinal 
products derived from human blood or human plasma are properly validated, attain batch-to-batch consistency and gua rantee, insofar as the 
state of technology permits, the absence of specific viral contamination. To this end 
manufacturers shall notify the competent 
authorities of the method used to reduce or eliminate pathogenic viruses liable to be transmitted by medicinal products derived from human blood or human plasma. The competent 
authority may submit samples of the bulk and/or 
the medicinal product for testing by a State laboratory or a laboratory designated for that purpose, either during the examination of the application pursuant to Article 19, or after a marketing authorization has been granted. 
 
Article 116 
 
The competent authorities shall suspend, revoke, withdraw or vary a marketing authorisation if the view is taken that the product is harmful under normal conditions of use, or that it lacks 
therapeutic efficacy, or  that the risk-benefit 
balance is not positive under the normal 
conditions of use, or that its qualitative and quantitative composition is not as declared. Therapeutic efficacy is lacking when it is concluded that therapeutic results cannot be 
obtained from the medicinal product. 
 An authorisation shall also be suspended, revoked, withdrawn or varied where the particulars supporting the application as 
provided for in Article 8 or Articles 10, 10a, 10b, 
10c and 11 are incorrect or have not been amended in accordance with Article 23, or where the controls referred to in Article 112 have not been carried out.  
Article 117 
 1. Without prejudice to the measures provided for in Article 116, Member States shall take all appropriate steps to ensure that the supply of the 
medicinal product is prohibited and the 
medicinal product withdrawn from the market, if the view is taken that:  (a) the medicinal product is harmful under 
normal conditions of use; or 
 (b) it lacks therapeutic efficacy; or  (c) the risk-benefit balance is not favourable under the authorised conditions of use; or 
 
(d) its qualitative and quantitative composition is not as declared; or  (e) the controls on the medicinal product and/or 
on the ingredients and the controls at an 
intermediate stage of the manufacturing process have not been carried out or if some other requirement or obligation relating to the grant of the manufacturing authorisation has not been fulfilled. 
 
2. The competent authority may limit the prohibition to supply the product, or its withdrawal from the market, to those batches which are the subject of dispute. 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 62 - 
Article 118 
 
1. The competent authority shall suspend or revoke the marketing authorization for a category of preparations or all preparations where any one of the requirements laid down in Article 41 is no longer met. 
 
2. In addition to the measu res specified in Article 
117, the competent authority may suspend manufacture or imports of medicinal products coming from third countries, or suspend or 
revoke the manufacturing authorization for a 
category of preparations or all preparations where Articles 42, 46, 51 and 112 are not complied with.  
Article 119 
 The provisions of this Title shall apply to homeopathic medicinal products.   
TITLE XII 
 
STANDING COMMITTEE 
 
Article 120 
 Any changes which are necessary in order to adapt Annex I to take account of scientific and technical progress shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 121(2). 
 
Article 121 
 
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Committee on Medicinal Products for 
Human Use, hereinafter called “the Standing 
Committee”, in the task of adapting to technical progress the directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the medicinal products sector.  
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, 
Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.  The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months. 
 
3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.  
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 
1999/468/EC shall be set at one month.  4. The Standing Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure which shall be made public. 
 
 
TITLE XIII 
 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
 
Article 122 
 1. Member States shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the competent authorities concerned communicate to each other such 
information as is appropriate to guarantee that 
the requirements placed on the authorisations referred to in Articles 40 and 77, on the certificates referred to in Article 111(5) or on the marketing authorisations are fulfilled. 
 
2. Upon reasoned request, Member States shall forthwith communicate the reports referred to in Article 111(3) to the competent authorities of another Member State.  
3. The conclusions reached in accordance with 
Article 111(1) shall be valid throughout the Community.  However, in exceptional cases, if a Member 
State is unable, for reasons relating to public 
health, to accept the conclusions reached following an inspection under Article 111(1), that Member State shall forthwith inform the Commission and the Agency. The Agency shall inform the Member States concerned. 
 
When the Commission is informed of these divergences of opinion, it may, after consulting the Member States concerned, ask the inspector who performed the original inspection to 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 63 -perform a new inspection; the inspector may be 
accompanied by two other inspectors from 
Member States which are not parties to the 
disagreement.   
Article 123 
 1. Each Member State shall take all the 
appropriate measures to ensure that decisions 
authorizing marketing, refusing or revoking a marketing authorization, cancelling a decision refusing or revoking a marketing authorization, prohibiting supply, or withdrawing a product 
from the market, together with the reasons on 
which such decisions are based, are brought to the attention of the Agency forthwith.  2. The marketing authorization holder shall be obliged to notify the Member States concerned 
forthwith of any action taken by him to suspend 
the marketing of a medicinal product or to withdraw a medicinal product from the market, together with the reasons for such action if the latter concerns the efficacy of the medicinal 
product or the protection of public health. 
Member States shall ensure that this information is brought to the attention of the Agency.  3. Member States shall ensure that appropriate 
information about action taken pursuant to 
paragraphs 1 and 2 wh ich may affect the 
protection of public health in third countries is forthwith brought to the attention of the World Health Organization, with a copy to the Agency.  
4. The Commission shall publish annually a list 
of the medicinal products which are prohibited in the Community.  
Article 124 
 Member States shall communicate to each other all the information necessary to guarantee the quality and safety of homeopathic medicinal products manufactured and marketed within the Community, and in particular the information 
referred to in Articles 122 and 123. 
 Article 125 
 
Every decision referred to in this Directive 
which is taken by the competent authority of a Member State shall state in detail the reasons on which it is based.  Such decision shall be notified to the party 
concerned, together with information as to the 
redress available to him under the laws in force and of the time-limit allowed for access to such redress.  
Decisions to grant or revoke a marketing 
authorisation shall be made publicly available.  
Article 126 
 An authorization to market a medicinal product 
shall not be refused, suspended or revoked 
except on the grounds set out in this Directive.  No decision concerning suspension of manufacture or of importation of medicinal 
products coming from third countries, 
prohibition of supply or withdrawal from the market of a medicinal product may be taken except on the grounds set out in Articles 117 and 118. 
 
Article 126a 
 
1. In the absence of a marketing authorisation or of a pending application for a medicinal product authorised in another Member State in 
accordance with this Directive, a Member State 
may for justified public health reasons authorise the placing on the market of the said medicinal product.  
2. When a Member State avails itself of this 
possibility, it shall adopt the necessary measures in order to ensure that the requirements of this Directive are complied with, in particular those referred to in Titles V, VI, VIII, IX and XI.  
3. Before granting such an authorisation a 
Member State shall:  (a) notify the marketing authorisation holder, in the Member State in which the medicinal 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 64 -product concerned is authorised, of the proposal 
to grant an authorisation under this Article in 
respect of the product concerned; and 
 (b) request the competent authority in that State 
to furnish a copy of the assessment report referred to in Article 21(4) and of the marketing authorisation in force in respect of the said 
medicinal product. 
 4. The Commission shall set up a publicly accessible register of medicinal products authorised under paragraph 1. Member States 
shall notify the Commission if any medicinal 
product is authorised, or ceases to be authorised, under paragraph 1, including the name or corporate name and permanent address of the authorisation holder. The Commission shall amend the register of medicinal products 
accordingly and make this register available on 
their website.  5. No later than 30 April 2008, the Commission shall present a report to the European Parliament 
and the Council concerning the application of 
this provision with a view to proposing any necessary amendments.  
Article 126b 
 In order to guarantee independence and transparency, the Member  States shall ensure 
that members of staff of the competent authority responsible for granting authorisations, rapporteurs and experts concerned with the 
authorisation and surveillance of medicinal 
products have no financial or other interests in the pharmaceutical industry which could affect their impartiality. These persons shall make an annual declaration of their financial interests. 
 
In addition, the Member States shall ensure that the competent authority makes publicly accessible its rules of procedure and those of its committees, agendas for its meetings and records of its meetings, accompanied by decisions taken, 
details of votes and explanations of votes, 
including minority opinions.  Article 127 
 
1. At the request of the manufacturer, the 
exporter or the authorities of an importing third country, Member States shall certify that a manufacturer of medicinal products is in possession of the manufacturing authorization. When issuing such certificates Member States 
shall comply with the following conditions: 
 (a) they shall have regard to the prevailing administrative arrangements of the World Health Organization; 
 
(b) for medicinal products intended for export which are already authorized on their territory, they shall supply the summary of the product characteristics as approved in accordance with Article 21. 
 
2. When the manufacturer is not in possession of a marketing authorization he shall provide the authorities responsible for establishing the certificate referred to in paragraph 1, with a 
declaration explaining why no marketing 
authorization is available.  
Article 127a 
 
When a medicinal product is to be authorised in 
accordance with Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 and the Scientific Committee in its opinion refers to recommended conditions or restrictions with regard to the safe and effective use of the medicinal product as provided for in Article 
9(4)(c) of that Regulation, a decision addressed 
to the Member States shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure provided for in Articles 33 and 34 of this Directive, for the implementation of those conditions or 
restrictions. 
 
Article 127b 
 Member States shall ensure that appropriate collection systems are in place for medicinal 
products that are unused or have expired. 
  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 65 -TITLE XIV 
 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
Article 128 
 
Directives 65/65/EEC, 75/318/EEC, 75/319/EEC, 89/342/EEC, 89/343/EEC, 
89/381/EEC, 92/25/EEC, 92/26/EEC, 
92/27/EEC, 92/28/EEC and 92/73/EEC, amended by the Directives referred to in Annex II, Part A, are repealed, without prejudice to the obligations of the Member States concerning the 
time-limits for implementation set out in Annex 
II, Part B.  References to the repealed Directives shall be construed as references to this Directive and shall be read in accordan ce with the correlation 
table in Annex III. 
 
Article 129 
 
This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European 
Communities.  
Article 130 
 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.   Done at Brussels, 6 November 2001  For the European Parliament For the Council The President   The President 
N. FONTAINE   D. REYNDERS 
 
 
DEAD-LINES FOR THE TRANSPOSITION OF 
AMENDING DIRECTIVES:  
 
Directive 2002/98/EC:  
 Article 32 
 
1. Member States shall bring into force the laws regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive not later that 8 February 2005. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.  
 
When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to 
be made. 
 2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of the provisions of national law that they have already adopted or 
which they adopt in the field governed by this 
Directive.   Directive 2004/24/EC:
 
 
Article 2 
 1. The Member States shall take the necessary measures to comply with this Directive by 30 October 2005. They shall forthwith inform the 
Commission thereof. 
 When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such a reference on the 
occasion of their official publication. The 
methods of making such reference shall be laid down by the Member States.  2. For the traditional herbal medicinal products as referred to in Article 1, which are already on 
the market on the entry into force of this 
Directive, the competent authorities shall apply the provisions of this Directive within seven years after its entry into force.  
 
Directive 2004/27/EC:
 
 
Article 2  The periods of protection provided for in Article 
1, point 8, which amends Article 10(1) of 
Directive 2001/83/EC, shall not apply to reference medicinal products for which an application for authorisation has been submitted 
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 66 -before the date of transposition to in Article 3 
first paragraph.  
 
Article 3  Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive no later 
than 30 October 2005. They shall immediately 
inform the Commission thereof.  When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or 
shall be accompanied by such a reference on the 
occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by the Member States.  
IP/N/1/EU/U/1 
        - 67 -