Article 31

Location:
Title III, chapter 4
Source:
Eur-Lex
1.   The Member States, the Commission, the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder shall, in specific cases where the interests of the Union are involved, refer the matter to the Committee for application of the procedure laid down in Articles 32, 33 and 34 before any decision is reached on an application for a marketing authorisation or on the suspension or revocation of a marketing authorisation, or on any other variation of the marketing authorisation which appears necessary.

Where the referral results from the evaluation of data relating to pharmacovigilance of an authorised medicinal product, the matter shall be referred to the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee and Article 107j(2) may be applied. The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee shall issue a recommendation according to the procedure laid down in Article 32. The final recommendation shall be forwarded to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use or to the coordination group, as appropriate, and the procedure laid down in Article 107k shall apply.

However, where one of the criteria listed in Article 107i(1) is met, the procedure laid down in Articles 107i to 107k shall apply.

The Member State concerned or the Commission shall clearly identify the question which is referred to the Committee for consideration and shall inform the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder.

The Member States and the applicant or the marketing authorisation holder shall supply the Committee with all available information relating to the matter in question.

2.   Where the referral to the Committee concerns a range of medicinal products or a therapeutic class, the Agency may limit the procedure to certain specific parts of the authorisation.

In that event, Article 35 shall apply to those medicinal products only if they were covered by the authorisation procedures referred to in this Chapter.

Where the scope of the procedure initiated under this Article concerns a range of medicinal products or a therapeutic class, medicinal products authorised in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 which belong to that range or class shall also be included in the procedure.

3.   Without prejudice to paragraph 1, a Member State may, where urgent action is necessary to protect public health at any stage of the procedure, suspend the marketing authorisation and prohibit the use of the medicinal product concerned on its territory until a definitive decision is adopted. It shall inform the Commission, the Agency and the other Member States, no later than the following working day, of the reasons for its action.
4.   Where the scope of the procedure initiated under this Article, as determined in accordance with paragraph 2, includes medicinal products authorised in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, the Commission may, where urgent action is necessary to protect public health, at any stage of the procedure, suspend the marketing authorisations and prohibit the use of the medicinal products concerned until a definitive decision is adopted. The Commission shall inform the Agency and the Member States no later than the following working day of the reasons for its action.