EU and UK agree on Withdrawal Agreement

Posted on 06.12.2018

On Sunday, 25 November 2018, the EU leaders finally endorsed the final agreement negotiated with the United Kingdom on Brexit.

The deal grants the presence of a transition period starting on 30 March 2018 and ending on December 2020, with the possibility to be extended once. In addition, the deal establishes a “single customs territory” between the EU and the UK, keeping the custom union enforced within the UK until both parties reach a further agreement.

For the medtech sector, this deal is full of positive news. The transition period and the single custom territory are very important for the medical technology industry, as they provide more time to adjust to the changes brought by Brexit. Notified Bodies will have more time to make the necessary adjustments to prevent market disruption, and the industry will be able to continue daily business operations while preparing for the new legal framework after the transition period.

However, there are still specific points missing from it: we believe, in fact, that patients in the EU and the UK would be better served if an explicit commitment to ensure a continued collaboration in the area of access to medical technologies and healthcare at large were included in the agreement.

MedTech Europe’s hope is that the process for the ratification of the agreement will provide the opportunity to include a specific reference to healthcare to protect the safety of patients and public health in the EU and the UK.