The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) at the European Medicines Agency has approved a work programme for 2012-2015 with the aim of strengthening the integration of herbal medicines in the pharmaceutical legislative framework and benefiting the European consumer through safe and effective use of herbal medicinal products. New activities described in the work programme include:

• Ensuring excellence in the preparation and maintenance of Community herbal monographs through initiatives to review monographs every five years.

• Acknowledging the growing importance of- and interest in- medicines systems from outside the EU such as Chinese traditional medicine and Ayurvedic medicine by developing guidance and training for those assessing these types of medicine.

• Ensuring that the general public is able to understand the uses, benefits and risks associated with herbal medicinal products through the development of new summaries for the public written in non-specialist language and published on the internet.