Directive 2004/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending, as regards traditional herbal medicinal products, Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use
Date: 2004-03-31
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: approximation of laws, consolidation of EU law, legal code, medical plant, medicinal product, pharmaceutical legislation, public health, single market

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Official Journal of the European Union

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DIRECTIVE 2004/24/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 31 March 2004

amending, as regards traditional herbal medicinal products, Directive 2001/83/EC on the
Community code relating to medicinal products for human use

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,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (2),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (3),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Directive 2001/83/EC (4) 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 microbi-
ological tests as well as pharmacological and toxico-
logical
trials carried out on the
product and thus proving its quality, safety and efficacy.

tests and clinical

the

the applicant can demonstrate by detailed
Where
to published scientific literature that
the
references
constituent or
the medicinal
constituents of
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

(1) OJ C 126 E, 28.5.2002, p. 263.
(2) OJ C 61, 14.3.2003, p. 9.
(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 21 November 2002 (OJ C
25 E, 29.1.2004, p. 222), Council Common Position of 4
November 2003 (OJ C 305 E, 16.12.2003, p. 52), Position of the
European Parliament of 17 December 2003 (not yet published in
the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 11 March 2004.
(4) OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67; Directive as last amended by
Commission Directive 2003/63/EC (OJ L 159, 27.6.2003, p. 46).

(4)

(5)

and

differences

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
that
provisions. The
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.

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.
this simplified procedure should be used
However,
authorisation can be
only where no marketing
in
obtained
2001/83/EC,
to Directive
pursuant
particular because of a lack of
scientific
literature demonstrating a well-established medicinal
use with recognised efficacy and an acceptable level of
It should likewise not apply to homeopathic
safety.
medicinal products eligible for marketing authorisation
or for registration under Directive 2001/83/EC.

sufficient

and

basis of

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
experience.
long-standing use
the
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
physico-chemical,
with
biological and microbiological
tests. Products should
comply with quality standards in relevant European
those in the phar-
Pharmacopoeia monographs or
macopoeia of a Member State.

necessary

regard

the

to

(6)

The vast majority of medicinal products with a
sufficiently long and coherent tradition are based on
herbal substances.
therefore seems appropriate to
limit the scope of the simplified registration in a first
step to traditional herbal medicinal products.

It

(7)

(8)

(9)

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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 carefully the validity and
relevance of use outside the Community.

(14)

medicinal products to the European Parliament and to
including an assessment on the possible
the Council
extension of
registration to other
categories of medicinal products.

traditional-use

is

It
therefore
2001/83/EC accordingly,

appropriate

to

amend Directive

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.

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
set up by Council Regulation (EEC) No
Agency’)
2309/93 (1). 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 regis-
tration 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
for Human
Medicinal Products already existing within the Agency.

and the Committee

(11)

(12)

In order to promote harmonisation, Member States
should recognise
traditional herbal
registrations of
medicinal products granted by another Member State
based on Community herbal monographs or consisting
of substances, preparations or combinations thereof
contained in a
established. For other
to be
products, Member States should take due account of
such registrations.

list

This Directive allows non-medicinal herbal products,
to be
fulfilling
regulated under food legislation in the Community.

food legislation,

criteria of

the

(13)

The Commission should present a report on the
chapter on traditional herbal
application of

the

(1) OJ L 214, 24.8.1993, p. 1; Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 1647/2003 (OJ L 245, 29.9.2003, p. 19).

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

Directive 2001/83/EC is hereby amended as follows:

1.

in Article 1 the following is added:

‘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:

fragmented or cut plants, plant
All mainly whole,
lichen in an unprocessed, usually
parts, algae, fungi,
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:

such

treatments

preparations obtained by subjecting herbal substances
to
distillation,
as
fractionation, purification, concentration
expression,
comminuted or
or
powdered
extracts,
substances,
essential oils, expressed juices and processed exudates.’

fermentation. These
herbal

extraction,

tinctures,

include

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2. The following chapter is inserted in Title III:

‘CHAPTER 2a

In order

to obtain traditional-use registration,

the
2.
applicant shall submit an application to the competent
authority of the Member State concerned.

Specific provisions applicable to traditional herbal
medicinal products

Article 16c

1.

The application shall be accompanied by:

Article 16a

A simplified registration procedure (hereinafter “tradi-
1.
tional-use registration”)
is hereby established for herbal
medicinal products which fulfil all of the following criteria:

(a) they have indications exclusively appropriate to tradi-
tional herbal medicinal products which, by virtue of
their
intended and
designed for use without the supervision of a medical
practitioner for diagnostic purposes or for prescription
or monitoring of treatment;

composition and purpose, are

(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 phar-
macological effects or efficacy of the medicinal product
are plausible on the basis of
long-standing use and
experience.

Notwithstanding Article 1(30),

2.
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 indi-
cation(s).

However,

3.
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

(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

in another Member State, or
to place

registration obtained by the
in a third
applicant
country,
the medicinal product on the
market, and details of any decision to refuse to grant
in the
an authorisation or
Community or a third country, and the reasons for
any such decision;

registration, whether

including at

(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
least 15 years within the
application,
Community. At
the Member State
where the application for traditional-use registration
has been submitted,
for Herbal
Medicinal Products shall draw up an opinion on the
adequacy of the evidence of the long-standing use of
the corresponding product. The
the product, or of
Member State shall
relevant documentation
submit
supporting the referral;

the Committee

the request of

(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.

The applicant and registration holder shall be estab-

1.
lished in the Community.

Annex I shall apply by analogy to the particulars and
documents specified in point (a).

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A corresponding product, as referred to in paragraph
2.
1(c), is characterised by having the same active ingredients,
irrespective of
the same or similar
intended purpose, equivalent strength and posology and
the
the
medicinal product applied for.

route of administration as

the excipients used,

same or

similar

The requirement to show medicinal use throughout
3.
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 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
for Herbal Medicinal
Products. The Member State shall submit relevant documen-
tation supporting the referral.

to the Committee

The Committee shall consider whether the other criteria for
a simplified registration as referred to in Article 16a are
fully complied with.
it
possible, 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.

the Committee

considers

If

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

substances,
combinations
contained in the list referred to in Article 16f.

preparations

or

consists of herbal
thereof

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.

(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 demon-

strated.

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

A list of herbal substances, preparations and combi-
1.
for use in traditional herbal medicinal
nations thereof
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 indi-
cation, the specified strength and the posology, the route
of administration and any other information necessary for
substance as a traditional
the safe use of
medicinal product.

the herbal

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.

Article 16e

1.
the
Traditional-use registration shall be refused if
application does not comply with Articles 16a, 16b or
16c or if at least one of the following conditions is fulfilled:

If a herbal substance, preparation or a combination
3.
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 referred
to in Article 16c(1) are submitted within three months.

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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
this Directive as well as
subparagraph, and 127 of
Commission Directive 91/356/EEC (*)
apply, by
shall
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
if adverse effects not
of
mentioned in the package leaflet occur.

the medicinal product or

A Member State may require that the labelling and the user
package leaflet 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: Tradi-
tional herbal medicinal product for use in specified indi-
cation(s) exclusively based upon long-standing use.

(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
referred 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
a
Human Medicinal
procedure to be determined by the Executive Director of
the Agency in accordance with Article 57(2) of Regulation
(EEC) No 2309/93.

ensured by

shall be

Products

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.

Article 16h

A Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products is hereby
1.
established. That Committee shall be part of the Agency and
shall have the following competence:

The alternates shall represent and vote for the members in
their absence. Members and alternates shall be chosen for
role and experience in the evaluation of herbal
their
medicinal products and shall
the competent
national authorities.

represent

(a) as regards simplified registrations, to:

— 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

herbal medicinal products,
paragraph 3 of this Article;

as

traditional
referred to in

The said Committee may coopt 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.

shall

With a view to the coopting of such members, the said
complementary
the
Committee
additional member(s).
scientific
the
Coopted members
experts
nominated by Member States or the Agency.

identify
of
shall

chosen among

competence

specific

be

The members of the said Committee may be accompanied
by experts in specific scientific or technical fields.

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The Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products shall
3.
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 responsi-
bilities conferred upon it by provisions of this chapter and
other Community law.

include an assessment on the possible
The report shall
extension of traditional-use registration to other categories
of medicinal products.
___________
(*) OJ L 193, 17.7.1991, p. 30.’

When Community herbal monographs within the meaning
of this paragraph have been established, they shall be taken
into account by the Member States when examining an
herbal
application. Where
monograph has yet been established, other appropriate
monographs, publications or data may be referred to.

Community

such

no

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.

When new Community herbal monographs are established,
the registration holder shall consider whether it is necessary
to modify the registration dossier accordingly. The regis-
tration holder shall notify any such modification to the
competent authority of the Member State concerned.

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.

The herbal monographs shall be published.

Article 3

This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publi-
cation in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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 4

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Strasbourg, 31 March 2004.

Article 16i

For the European Parliament

the Commission shall submit a
Before 30 April 2007,
report
to the European Parliament and to the Council
concerning the application of the provisions of this chapter.

The President

P. COX

For the Council

The President

D. ROCHE