Europe’s fake drug market is worth 10.5 billion euros according to Pfizer. MEPs want to crack down on the online pharmacies that sell them. No-one can guarantee zero risk when taking licensed drugs, but MEPs want to ensure that side effects are kept to a

The News: Fake Drugs – EU Open for Business?

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In today’s programme, buying prescription   medicines via the internet.

MEPs want online pharmacies   to be brought under stricter control.

They make you better,   but what else might they do?

An EP committee considers   the side effects of licensed drugs.

And what happened to   the Services Directive?

It should be in force all over Europe,   but the reality is rather different.

Hello and welcome to this edition of   EuroparlTV News.

Type the words “online pharmacy”   into Google

It’s a multi-billion euro industry,   but it’s also largely unregulated.

Which is why the Parliament wants   it covered by the new pharma package.

This report compiled by   Arnaud Demolder.

In a mouseclick you can get all   types of medicines delivered to your door.

77 million EU citizens   admit to doing it.

But when buying medicine online what   you see is not always what you get,

At the Belgian Agency for   Medicines and Health Products

and rehabilitation won’t be so simple.

Here we receive 3,000 packages   originating from internet sales,

so I think we’re far from seeing   the end of this scourge.

A European law   is in the works to stop this,

but Commission proposals   forgot about the internet.

An EP committee sought   to remedy this with a report.

Rapporteur Marisa Matias’ proposed   other ways to fight the online fakes.

Public awareness, distinction between   legal and illegal e-pharmacies,

some measures like warnings   and the logo,

which can guarantee that   the sites are certified.

There are other ways   of obtaining fake meds.

The black market is flooded with products   originating in China and India.

This MEP wants EU norms   to be respected in these third countries.

Inspections are crucial,   including those in non-EU countries,

which make medicines, and we must   compel them to respect the EU norms

and will now face the rest of the MEPs   during the plenary in June.

MEPs on the Public Health Committee   have also been considering

increased safety measures   for licensed drugs

in particular better reporting and   monitoring of their potential side effects.

Hugues Wajnsztok   has been following developments.

In Europe 197,000 deaths are recorded   each year after taking medicines.

before new treatments are available,   zero risk cannot be guaranteed.

Side-effects can still be   discovered after a drug goes on sale,

a public health risk that MEPs   are determined to minimise.

Patients, doctors,   and health professionals

are encouraged to report   these side-effects,

and then afterwards   the companies can react.

These side-effects   are closely monitored

and they are written   in the package leaflet.

As guardians of public health,   countries will have to do more

to detect and monitor the side-effects   of medicines sold in their countries.

At a European level, we’re trying,   in partnership with the Member States,

to set up a consultative council   that would have the power

to ban a drug if it posed major concerns.

The EU is envisaging setting   up a specific monitoring committee

We’re heading towards more   transparency, and it’s a good thing.

Especially for patients, who will have   access to a Europe-wide internet portal.

Medical leaflets should   contain more information.

These new measures   will be put to a vote this May.

It seems foreign policy supremo   Catherine Ashton

has reached agreement with   European foreign ministers

on the shape of   the new diplomatic service.

But MEPs are threatening   to hold up its budget

unless the new body is   more accountable to Parliament.

Ingeborg Grässle, an EPP member on   the Budgetary Control Committee,

told me the Council is only   making a bad situation worse.

So you're saying that the Council   is taking power away from the EP.

They keep trying and we shouldn't   let them get away with it.

We have co-decision in three of the four   files, so we'll link things together.

We won't start negotiating   or dealing with this file

unless the three others   are also on the table.

This isn't really about the new   diplomatic service's budget is it?

It's about who controls   and has authority over it.

It's about how Europe is organised in this   new domain for the next 20 years.

We care about our rights,   but also about the community method.

The Council wants to have and   strengthen intergovernmental elements.

That's not what we want because the   service they want to set up will not work.

Many people in   diplomatic services worldwide

are saying we need this new EAS   to be in place as soon as possible.

This is true, but it's the Council   and not us that is responsible for this.

They create problems.   We have to solve them.

I would like to ask everybody   to avoid creating problems.

Integrate the service into the Commission   and matters will go quickly.

You're on record as saying that   Catherine Ashton is out of her depth.

She is between the European Parliament,   Council and Commission.

For the moment, she sides more with   the Council than the Parliament.

I hope she will think about her position   and move closer to the Parliament.

if you don't get the sort of parliamentary   supervision that you're looking for,