Brussels, 20/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - The future president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced on Thursday 16 October that the future Health Commissioner will be responsible for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. It had initially been planned to remove medicines from the health department at the European Commission and hand them over to the enterprise and industry department instead (to EU Internal Market, Industry and Entrepreneurship Commissioner Bienkowska). This idea was greeted by outrage from health and consumer organisations and MEPs on the European Parliament's ENVI committee. Following the EP's demand that the question be re-examined, Juncker decided to abandon the move. Pieter Liese (Germany), EPP spokesman for healthcare on the ENVI committee, said he was delighted that Jean-Claude Juncker had been won over by good arguments, adding that although Commissioner Bienkowska was a good candidate, it was important not to suggest that industry's interests were more important than the interests of health in such a sensitive domain. (IL)