Life Sciences

The Life Sciences Committee is focused on European and World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives, which affect the chemical distributors.

Description

Initially, focused on the pharmaceutical sector, where Fecc Members are committed to the WHO standards for Good Trade and Distribution Practice (GTDP), the Life Sciences Committee has expanded its activities to include food, feed, and cosmetics industries. It monitors European and international initiatives and works actively to define Good Trade and Distribution Practices for these sectors.

The Committee formulates Fecc positions related to the distribution of pharmaceutical starting materials aimed at the European and global health authorities. Furthermore, it facilitates GTDP education for Fecc Members by organizing technical seminars and conferences on related issues.

The Committee also acts as a stakeholder in relevant meetings with the European and International regulatory authorities, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Council of Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Food Safety Authorities (EFSA). It monitors and works closely with other international organizations involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Objectives

The Life Sciences Committee monitors European and international initiatives and does an active review of the regulatory evolution, which affects the chemical distributors, covering Food, Feed, Pharma and Cosmetics. This helps to ensure that the voice of the chemical distributors is heard in the European and global debate. This committee creates a unique networking opportunity between the whole value chain in which chemical distributors are inserted. In addition, the committee works closely with other associations and acts as a stakeholder in relevant meetings with the European and International regulatory authorities, as well as it facilitates education for Fecc Members by organizing technical seminars and conferences on related issues.

 

Fecc’s activities in the field of Life Sciences are:

  • Monitoring activities: Monitor and assess all developments related to the food and feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals sectors.
  • Implementation of guidelines: Develop guidance on how to implement the principles of standardisation in the daily processes, operations and business models. In this framework, Fecc has partnered with various organisations to organise webinars on food fraud, the ISO 16128 cosmetics standards, the new EU Pharma Regulation and EXCiPACT certification. The following topics are also included in the committee’s working programme: RSPO/Due Diligence, Safe and Sustainable by Design Framework, Food contact materials, the EU Deforestation Regulation, and Food fraud.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Fecc, represented by its Life Sciences Committee, regularly engages with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Relevant documents and links

Food and Feed

Q&A concerning the risk for bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) Stakeholders Page

EFSA Scientific Committee and Panels

European Commission – DG Sante Food Safety Overview

Pharmaceuticals

New EU Pharma Regulation

EMA (European Medicines Agency) Committee Page

EMA SME page

EMA Human medicine regulatory information

Excipients labelling

EXCiPACT – Excipients certification

Council of Europe