MEPs to vote on new medical devices rules

The European Parliament aims to establish its initial stance in an overhaul of European Union rules on medical devices that are implanted into the human body.

It will vote on the matter next Wednesday (April 2nd) as member states remain divided on the controversial issue and have so far failed to agree a common position, reports the European Voice.

The stance is under scrutiny following the PIP breast implant scandal and the current rules date back to 1990. They allow medical devices, such as implants and pacemakers, to be given pre-market authorisation by 80 accredited independent assessment groups, which are known as 'notified bodies'. 

In an effort to unify the market, the Commission originally proposed that an EU-level supervisory co-ordination group should be created to share information between the existing authorities. The Parliament must decide if this new authority should be much stronger and able to investigate and dictate to the notified bodies that handle the most complicated medical devices.