EU, in change of tack, keeps medicines filed under health

LONDON (Reuters) - New European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in a change of tack, has decided to keep responsibility for medicines in the Commission's division for health, rather than switching it to its industry unit. The supervision of medicines is a hot topic in Europe, following a series of rows over access to clinical trial data, and the original plan to move it from the directorate general (DG) for Health and Consumers to the DG for Enterprise and Industry triggered protests. Juncker said on Wednesday that responsibility for pharmaceuticals would now stay with DG Health because "medicines are not goods like any other". The European consumer organization BEUC said it was pleased by the change of heart. "Today's decision clearly signals to consumers that their health comes before economic interests," it said. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler, editing by David Evans)