Interested Parties to the HMPC

The 'Interested Parties to the HMPC' consist of several parties having an interest at European level in herbal (traditional) medicinal products, with whom the HMPC has established contacts as foreseen in the rules of procedure of the Committee. They were identified after the Committee invited in November 2004 any organisation (Association, Federation, Council, etc.) to express their willingness to be regarded as an interested party to the HMPC.

The Committee selected associations that had come forward against several criteria including legitimacy (organisation shall have statutes registered in one of the Member States of the EU), EU representativity (organisation shall be representative of member associations/members throughout the EU) and activities (a part of the organisation's activities shall include a specific interest in research, development, licensing and use of herbal/traditional medicinal products).

The Committee has been receiving regular contribution to its work from several of these interested parties primarily in the form of comments to documents released for public consultation, especially draft Community herbal monographs and Community list entries. They also respond to the calls for submission of scientific data and submit proposals for new monographs/list entries. Hearings with these interested parties are convened upon agreement by the HMPC when the need has arisen to discuss certain matters or for information purposes.

• The list of the current Interested Parties to the HMPC

The HMPC would review any new candidature to being regarded as an interested party from associations that could not take part in the identification process of 2004.

For further information, please contact the HMPC Secretariat.