At its 184th Session in March 2026, the European Pharmacopoeia Commission (EPC) approved the creation of a new working party dedicated to the technical development of the certified review of microbiological methods per the European Pharmacopoeia, a novel concept that will also be known as “cMEP”.

The cMEP is based on a method‑centric approach intended to facilitate the use of rapid microbiological methods (RMMs) by providing a harmonised scientific review of their validation and comparability, in accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia.

Developed under the aegis of the EPC, the cMEP arose from recent EDQM work on the implementation and assessment of RMMs. This work included two major stakeholder consultations (April and October 2024), which confirmed strong and broad support for the development of such a certification approach.

The newly created cMEP Working Party will contribute to the technical development of the concept, including the refinement of its scope and scientific requirements. More information on its Terms of Reference can be found here.