There is increasing visibility of complementary medicine and homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products in the media, in publications and public discussions and also as official or informal points on the agenda of the various European institutions. Let’s call these first steps in the right direction. As regards homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products, further steps are needed in the form of concrete action and proposals in order to ensure that these two strong European traditional medical approaches can further develop in the EU, to become part of normal health care provision as is the wish of a large proportion of the European population.

We have had the opportunity on several occasions, at conferences or in individual meetings with decision makers in the individual markets and in Brussels, to show the inadequate, defective and unharmonised performance of the regulatory system for homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products in the European Union. Today this analysis is supported by concrete figures showing the individual market performances. Increasing numbers of people in responsible positions see the need to resolve the situation and to start working on proposals to make the system work for these medicinal products, the preferred option for large numbers of citizens. For certain sensitive groups in the population, such as children and pregnant women, these products are the absolute first choice because of their well-known excellent safety profile.

In this perspective, it is essential that an appropriate regulatory environment for these very popular medicinal products should be a topic on the European agenda. A number of initiatives by ECHAMP support this urgent request.

Nand De Herdt
President of ECHAMP

ENVI Committee votes on the Pharma Package
ENVI Committee amendments to the Pharma Package proposals on pharmacovigilance and counterfeit medicines could benefit homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products; however there is further work to do to protect the industry from an additional and unnecessary administrative burden. Read more...

Building a common platform for homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine in the EU
There are signs that the European Commission and the European Parliament are more open to considering complementary and alternative medicine. Speakers at ECHAMP’s expert seminar in Madrid show that it is time for concrete and co-ordinated action in favour of the well-established European therapies, homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine, and the special type of medicinal products that they use.
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ECHAMP Membership Assembly 2010
ECHAMP’s members came together at the annual Membership Assembly for an update on the association’s activities over the past year. ECHAMP was pleased to welcome a new member from Bulgaria, Alpen Pharma, and two new corresponding members.
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EU affairs – a quick update
Christine Marking, ECHAMP’s public affairs consultant, provides a quick round up of recent initiatives by the European Commission and European Parliament of relevance to the sector for homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products.
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