Transparency, independence and integrity are at the heart of the work of the Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) and its employees, Board members and external experts. In order to safeguard the quality of the work and decision-making, the MEB maintains a high standard with regard to integrity, impartiality and independence, both individually and as an organisation. We also believe it is important that the decision-making relating to the registration of medicines, the context of the decision-making and the actions of the parties involved are transparent to everyone. The rules governing how the MEB performs its tasks are laid down in the Medicines Act.
Integrity and independence
The high standards in the area of integrity and independence are reflected in its expectations for individual employees, Board members and external experts. For that reason they are laid down in a code of conduct. This code of conduct contains rules about standards of good administrative conduct, conflicts of interests, confidentiality and secrecy and the policy on events and gifts.
Freedom of information
Openness ensures good quality information and provides an insight into the decision-making process relating to the organisation of medicines. Not all data present at the MEB can be made public. However, we do aim for a high degree of transparency. In this overview you can read about which information is public and how you can obtain additional information.
The MEB Annual Report
In the MEB Annual Report the MEB gives an account of the work it has performed in the past year. In the overwiew below you will find the last three editions.
Financing
In the Netherlands, costs are charged to the applicant for the issuing of government authorisations. These costs are independent of the outcome. The same applies to medicine applications and registrations. The pharmaceutical companies pay a fixed rate for new applications for the assessment of a medicine. In addition they pay a fixed annual fee for each medicine that is registered. These are the MEB's basic sources of income.
The amount of these fees is determined in such a way that the MEB can cover the costs of doing its work. The fees for medicines for human use are determined by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). The fees for veterinary medicines are set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV).