French health minister, Xavier Bertrand, has called for the European Union to impose stiffer rules on medical devices, after a breast-implant scandal that affected thousands of women.

Bertrand said Thursday that the EU should devise a special authorization for medical devices similar to that of prescription medications.

His call came after a French company, Poly Implant Prothese, was forced to shut down after its breast implants were found to be made of a type of silicone gel that causes high rates of rupture.

The implants, sold internationally, were pulled from the market last year. France has recommended that the estimated 30,000 women in France who have the implants have them removed.