This language policy is in line with EMA’s commitment to provide unbiased information to patients, healthcare professionals and all European Union (EU) citizens on the medicines it evaluates. This commitment lies at the heart of EMA’s public health mission.

EMA’s officialworking language is English. The Agency therefore carries out its business in English and makes all of its content available in English.

EMA also makes the information that is of greatest impact and relevance for general audiences available inall official European Union (EU) languages. This includes:

• information related to the protection of public health, such as overviews of the medicines that EMA evaluates;
• general information on EMA’s work and activities, including its frequently asked questions;
• subtitles or voice-overs to its videos and other audiovisual material that are available via this website and itsYouTube channel.

EU citizens can also interact with EMA in any official EU language in queries and public consultations.
 

Did you know...? 

EMA publishes information in all EU languages on its corporate website. This includes translated written content inPDF document format. Users can select thedesired language from a simple drop-down menu.

EMA language policy

EMA’slanguage policy sets out the ways in which it works in English and other official EU languages.

EMA's language policy is available in all official EU languages, plus Icelandic and Norwegian. Select ‘available languages’ below to access the language you need

The policy explains how EMA considers the impact of and relevance for stakeholders and public health protection in its decisions regardingtranslation. It prioritises the information aimed at patients and healthcare professionals.

EMA sometimes makes information available in English before other EU languages, while translation is ongoing. It does this when necessary to avoid delays in publication of the information.

On this website, EMA makes technical information available in English. This is aimed primarily at thepharmaceutical industry.

English is the language that this industry operates in globally. It is also the language in which standard terminology is available and used internationally, including by international authorities such as theWorld Health Organization (WHO) and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) of the Council of Europe.

The Agency uses English in this setting to reduce the risk of misunderstanding, ambiguity and potentially important errors that translation might introduce.

Information on medicines that EMA evaluates

EMA makes information related to its scientific assessments ofindividual medicines available in all official EU languages:

• Overviews ofauthorised human medicines: these explain what the medicine is and why it was authorised
• Questions and answers onmedicines refused authorisation: these explain why the medicine was not suitable for authorisation
• Questions and answers onwithdrawn applications: these explain why a company withdrew its application for authorisation of a medicine
• Product information for authorised medicines: these include the package leaflet for patients and pet owners, and are also available 
  in Icelandic and Norwegian
• Information onmajor reviews of medicines (known as referrals): these explain EMA’s recommendations about issues, such as concerns over safety

More information:

• What we publish on medicines and when (only in English)

Information on EMA's work and activities

EMA publishes general information on what it does, how it works, its reponsibilities and its people in all official EU languages:

• What we do
• Authorisation of medicines
• How EMA evaluates medicines for human use
• Who we are
• Management Board
• How we work
• European medicines regulatory network
• Handling competing interests
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Leaflets on topics such as reporting suspected side effects of medicines
   

Information about EMA and frequently asked questions is available in all official EU languages. Select ‘available languages’ to access the language you need.

Interacting with EMA

EU citizens can send a question on this website in any official EU language. EMA will reply in the same language.

The Agency accepts contributions topublic consultations in any official EU language.

Whenever possible, EMA makes public consultation documents available in official EU languages. 

More information: 

• Send a question to the European Medicines Agency
• Open consultations

Translations

The information featured on this page is available, above, in all official EU languages, plus Icelandic and Norwegian. Select ‘other languages’ to access the language you need.