EMA: Milan  passes  first EU  assessment , 27  member  states to decide

Tallinn - Milan is in the race for hosting the European Medicine's Agency (EMA) when it will leave its London headquarters following Brexit, according to the European Commission report on the cities applying to host two EU agencies: the EMA and the European Banking Authority (EBA). The report summarizes the candidacies (19 for the medicine's agency and eight for the Banking Authority), which are evaluated on the basis of six criteria. Milan is considered a favorite location for the Medicine's Agency, whose headquarters would be hosted in the Pirelli skyscraper. However, the ball is now in the court of the 27 Member States: the final decision will be taken by the Foreign Affairs ministers at the General Affairs Council in November. The only issue for Milan is one of geo-political balance, since Italy already hosts two EU agencies, unlike other countries that offered their candidacy and have none. The report analyses whether the candidate cities fulfill the the six established criteria: how quickly the new headquarters could start operating, how accessible they are, whether there are schools for employees' children, access to labor markets, social and health services for staff partners and children, ensuring continuity of operations and, finally, the geographical factor. According to EU sources, the cities that are well positioned for hosting the EMA are those that the Commission indicated as most suitable: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bruxelles, Vienna, Milan. The only difference within these offers is apparently the fact that the Dutch capital offered a temporary location for the European Medicine's Agency initially, while all other cities are proposing permanent headquarters from the outset. The Slovak capital Bratislava is also a candidate for the EMA headquarters, and it is considered a favorite location by some because it could benefit from the desire to help the enlargement countries in Eastern Europe. However, the city has fewer airline connections compared to the competitors and its schooling offer is also less competitive. The Commission notes its proximity to Vienna, a great European capital and a candidate itself.