On March 2, 2017, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the United States had reached an agreement with the European Union (EU) that will allow FDA and EU regulators to use each other’s good manufacturing practice (GMP) inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.  The agreement, entered into after several years of joint collaboration and evaluation, should help to avoid duplication of drug inspections and lower inspection costs. The FDA’s authority to enter into the agreement is derived from the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, which allows the FDA to enter into agreements to recognize drug inspections conducted by foreign authorities if the FDA determines they are capable of conducting inspections that meet U.S. requirements.