The EMA beheaded its executive director – the Italian Guido Rasi, former director of AIFA – with the sentence of the court for the EU public function. The Court found a procedural defect, linked to transparency.
14 November 2014 – Il Sole 24ORE
A semi-paralyzed commission, and which risks remaining so for at least a year. If not something more. Other than European drug policy. The Emma beheaded by its executive director– the Italian Guido Rasi, former director of Aifa – with the judgment of the EU civil service tribunal, seriously risks a dangerous operational deadlock. With the danger of a ripple effect for similar situations in all European agencies. In the meantime, Rasi has already packed his bags: he left the offices with a handover to the administrative director, the German Andreas Pott. But it should only be a bridging solution. Waiting for the next moves within the competence of the European Commission, guilty of the April 2001 mess on the competition for the top position of the EMA.
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Chaos at the EMA, Rasi's appointment canceled due to invalid procedural process
Saturday, November 15, 2014 – Doctor33
It's chaos at the EMA: the sentence of the EU civil service court declared the procedural process that led to invalid Guido Rasi to head the European Medicines Agency in the role of executive director, canceling his appointment. The decision of the European Commission, dated 20 April 2011, in which a list of four candidates indicated by the screening committee and then confirmed by the advisory committee was proposed to the EMA Board of Directors with the declaration of nullity for nominations. The main reason for the decision – moreover the European Agency's appeal is rejected in the operative part of the sentence – is the fact that Guido Rasi is already a member of the Ema Board of Directors and therefore a conflict of interest and a non-transparent final selection are foreseen. In short, a mess on several fronts. First of all for the agency, which finds itself without a guide: Rasi, according to what is learned from the press, has already handed over the duties to the administrative director, the German Andreas Pott, as a transitional solution. And at this point it would be up to the European Commission itself to find a more definitive way, possibly in a short time: and certainly the way to appeal the sentence appears to be slow while rumors are moving in the direction of an interim. As for the new competition, its conclusion before a year does not seem conceivable.
Frances Giani
