“Barcelona ready” to host European Medicines Agency HQ

With only two days to go before the European Medicines Agency decides where to set up its next headquarters, Barcelona is still in the running. On Friday, the current mayor, Ada Colau, met with previous mayors of the city Xavier Trias and Jordi Hereu to defend the city’s candidacy to host the agency’s next headquarters.

“Barcelona is ready,” said Colau. “We have presented a maginificent candidacy, that includes an emblematic building ready to host the agency.”

The agency, which decided to move its headquarters away from London after uncertainty presented by the ongoing Brexit saga, would bring most of its 900 strong workforce to the Catalan capital, should it decide to relocate there. Staff did a survey to choose which would be their next ideal location, with cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Vienna coming in on top alongside Barcelona.

“It won’t be simple, because we have strong competition in a complicated moment of uncertainty,” said Colau, adding that the city has a lot to offer to employees at the agency, such as “quality of life” and good transport. She called on European leaders for their support.

“We need Europe’s support more than ever,” she said. “We need European leaders to show their leadership by choosing the city most prepared to host the headquarters of the European Medicines Agency.”