Sweden calls for tighter EU environmental legislation

The Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) has called for the EU to introduce tighter environmental legislation in order to curb bad manufacturing practices among pharmaceutical firms.

Many new medicines that find their way on to the European market are produced in countries such as India.

The MPA is concerned about the potential damage that could be caused to human health if companies do not take environmental health more seriously.

A report published by the organisation stated that emissions from such manufacturing plants are unacceptable and improvements are "an urgent matter".

Members of the MPA want the EU to sanction rulings that force Indian firms to better control the production of certain products - particularly those that have been proven to have an adverse affect on human and animal wellbeing.

"First and foremost this concerns antibiotics, certain medicinal products with hormone-disrupting substances and substances that can constitute a risk to the environment [if] they are used and produced in large volumes," the report read.

Around 600 pharmacists and doctors work at the MPA, which is a government body and one of the EU's leading regulatory authorities.

Posted by Lauren Steadman