The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has moved to its temporary home in Amsterdam. EMA will operate out of the Spark building until its final, tailor-made premises in Amsterdam Zuidas become available.
EMA left its London premises on 1 March, and following a transitional week of teleworking, its staff will gradually move throughout this week into the Spark building in Amsterdam Sloterdijk.
The timing of the move matches the UK's progress in the Brexit process. The nature of the UK’s relationship with the EU after March 29 is still uncertain. Equally, there are issues to be addressed about the drug regulatory environment.
"The agency has been working hard, in close cooperation with the Dutch authorities, to ensure these temporary premises would be ready to move into before 30 March, when EMA’s seat formally changes from London to Amsterdam," EMA said in a statement.
EMA staff members started to relocate to the Netherlands in summer 2018, and have continued doing so gradually since then.
With the physical move of the Agency now underway, this trend has accelerated. By Monday 18 March, when EMA will be settled in the Spark building, close to 350 staff members will have already relocated to the Netherlands.
A number of EMA staff will telework from London to allow them and their families a smooth transition to Amsterdam in the second half of 2019.
Overall, EMA still anticipates losing approximately 25% of its total workforce (of around 900 staff members).
