European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

2020/0320(COD)

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 EU’s 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 EU’s overall health response to COVID-19 as well as an improved crisis management framework.

CONTENT: the proposal aims to amend the Centre’s 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 EU’s 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.