PURPOSE: to reinforce the mandate of the European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) addressing
surveillance, preparedness, early warning and response under a
strengthened EU health security framework.
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament
and of the Council.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European
Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative
procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
BACKGROUND: the EU is committed to protect and improve
human health, in particular to combat the major cross-border health
scourges, measures concerning monitoring, early warning of and
combating serious cross-border threats to health.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed
shortcomings in the EUs mechanisms for managing health
threats. The proposal builds on lessons learnt during the COVID-19
crisis, and proposes to strengthen the existing Union level
structures and mechanisms for improved levels of protection,
prevention, preparedness and response, against all health hazards
across the EU.
The proposal is part of a package of closely
associated measures that aim to reinforce the crisis
preparedness and response and enhance the role of the European
Medicines Agency (EMA). Together, they form part of the
EUs overall health response to COVID-19 as well as an
improved crisis management framework.
CONTENT: the proposal aims to amend the Centres
founding regulation in order to reinforce its mandate so that it
may support the Commission and Member States in the following
areas:
- epidemiological surveillance via integrated systems
enabling real-time surveillance preparedness and response planning,
reporting and auditing situational awareness: rapid digitalisation
of integrated surveillance systems;
- better preparedness in Member States: develop
prevention and response plans against future epidemics and stronger
capacities for integrated rapid epidemic and outbreak
response;
- reinforced measures to control epidemics and
outbreaks: provision of nonbinding recommendations for risk
management;
- reinforced capacity and to identify population groups
at risk and in need of targeted prevention and response
measures;
- building up the key competences for health protection
in Member States: the Centre will be tasked with coordinating a new
network of Union reference laboratories for public health and a new
network of national services supporting transfusion,
transplantation and medically assisted reproduction;
- expanding work on the prevention of communicable
diseases and specific health issues, e.g., antimicrobial
resistance, vaccination and biosecurity;
- reinforcing the contribution to the EUs
international cooperation and development and EU commitment to
global health security preparedness.
Budgetary implications
The financial impact of this proposal on the EU budget
should be part of the next Multiannual Financial Framework
2021-2027. The budgetary implications should relate mainly
to:
- setting-up a new vaccine monitoring platform hosted
jointly by the European Medicines Agency and the
Centre;
- new networks on Union reference laboratories and on
transfusion, transplantation and medically assisted
reproduction;
- reinforcing surveillance systems and the Early Warning
and Response System;
- monitoring and assessing health systems capacity and
identifying population groups at risk and in need of targeted
prevention and response measures;
- creating a EU Health Task Force to support
countries with preparedness strengthening and quickly intervene in
a health crisis;
- improving international collaboration and gathering of
regional/national intelligence.