09/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 20 March, the Council of Europe will inaugurate a new building for its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM), which is in charge of the European Pharmacopoeia, the European network of Official Medicines and Control Laboratories (OMCL), blood transfusion and organ transplantation. With a floor area of around 19,000 m2, the new building in Strasbourg combines function and elegant modern design in three parts - laboratories, offices and meeting rooms, designed and organised to meet the EDQM's technical, communication and staff needs. The European Pharmacopoeia promotes and protects public health by establishing and providing users with official standards for the manufacture and quality control of medicines. The EDQM coordinates the network of OMCLs to facilitate mutual recognition between countries of medicine quality control tests. It is also responsible for setting standards for the quality and safety of organs and substances of human origin, blood and blood derivatives. The European Union is a member of the European Pharmacopoeia. (oj)