Directive 2001/83/EC is hereby amended as follows:

in Article 23a, the second paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘If the product ceases to be placed on the market of a Member State, either temporarily or permanently, the marketing authorisation holder shall notify the competent authority of that Member State. Such notification shall, other than in exceptional circumstances, be made no less than two months before the interruption in the placing on the market of the product. The marketing authorisation holder shall inform the competent authority of the reasons for such action in accordance with Article 123(2).’;

Article 31 is amended as follows:

in paragraph 1, the third subparagraph is replaced by the following:

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

paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘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.’;

in Article 34(3), the following subparagraph is added:

‘Where the scope of the procedure initiated under Article 31 includes medicinal products authorised in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 pursuant to the third subparagraph of Article 31(2) of this Directive, the Commission shall, where necessary, adopt decisions to vary, suspend or revoke the marketing authorisations or to refuse the renewal of the marketing authorisations concerned.’;

in Article 37, the words ‘Articles 35 and 36 shall apply’ are replaced by the words ‘Article 35 shall apply’;

Article 63 is amended as follows:

in paragraph 1, the first subparagraph is replaced by the following:

‘1. The particulars for labelling listed in Articles 54, 59 and 62 shall appear in an official language or official languages of the Member State where the medicinal product is placed on the market, as specified, for the purposes of this Directive, by that Member State.’;

in paragraph 2, the first subparagraph is replaced by the following:

‘2. The package leaflet must be written and designed in such a way as to be clear and understandable, enabling users to act appropriately, when necessary with the help of health professionals. The package leaflet must be clearly legible in an official language or official languages of the Member State where the medicinal product is placed on the market, as specified, for the purposes of this Directive, by that Member State.’;

paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3. Where the medicinal product is not intended to be delivered directly to the patient, or where there are severe problems in respect of the availability of the medicinal product, the competent authorities may, subject to measures they consider necessary to safeguard human health, grant an exemption to the obligation that certain particulars should appear on the labelling and in the package leaflet. They may also grant a full or partial exemption to the obligation that the labelling and the package leaflet must be in an official language or official languages of the Member State where the medicinal product is placed on the market, as specified, for the purposes of this Directive, by that Member State.’;

Article 85a is replaced by the following:

DIRECTIVE 2012/26/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 October 2012 amending Directive 2001/83/EC as regards pharmacovigilance