The EUnetHTA Joint Action (European network for HTA Joint Action) grant agreement has been signed by the EU Executive Agency for Health and Consumers and the Coordinator (National Board of Health of Denmark) on behalf of 33 partners in 23 EU Member States and Norway and the Joint Action now begins its activities.
Focusing on scientific cooperation on HTA in Europe, EUnetHTA Joint Action partners in cooperation with the Commission aim at delivering highest quality, transparency and value added for the EU Member States in its activities and in its governance and organisational processes (Technical Annex II of the EUnetHTA JA Grant Agreement).
The EUnetHTA JA will build on the momentum and achievements of a number of the previous European initiatives including the EUnetHTA Project (2006-2008) and the Pharmaceutical Forum (on relative effectiveness). The Secretariat of the EUnetHTA Collaboration (which was established in the National Board of Health of Denmark upon completion of the EUnetHTA Project) will coordinate the EUnetHTA JA (information from the JA preparatory meetings).
In 2009 the EUnetHTA Collaboration made several steps to consolidate the EUnetHTA project results (annual report to be published in February 2009) and effectively integrated new organisations nominated by the EU Member States to participate in the EUnetHTA Joint Action. EUnetHTA has made practical steps in advancing the cooperation with stakeholders and EU institutions: DG SANCO and EUnetHTA Collaboration jointly organised an exploratory meeting with representatives of stakeholder organisations and EU institutions regarding the involvement of stakeholders in HTA. The initial contact has been established with EMEA, the Working Group on medical devices and DG RTD and will be taken further into the specific processes during the Joint Action (concrete steps are already taken with EMEA).
For EUnetHTA JA updates and participation in the EUnetHTA JA public consultation processes please visit www.eunethta.eu regularly. The new website (design and structure) will be launched in June 2010.
