Brussels, 04/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - A major step forward was taken towards combating serious cross-border health threats when a large majority (678 votes to 21 and 4 abstentions) voted their endorsement of the report by Gilles Pargneaux (S&D, France) on 3 July. “Our priorities were the need for a coherent communication strategy coordinated across the EU to avoid the mistakes made during the food crisis during the E.coli outbreak, the independence of experts, which is not always easy to ensure when purchasing vaccines, and the enhanced cooperation between the health sector and the veterinary sector to effectively fight against animal disease”, said Pargneaux. Health Commissioner Tonio Borg also expressed his pleasure saying: “Today's vote marks a major milestone for health security in the EU (…). People in Europe will be better protected from a wide range of health threats through strengthened preparedness planning and coordination at EU level for serious cross-border threats (…). The decision also boosts the European Union's authority in the event of a health emergency”, the commissioner said. The decision will take effect as soon as it is published in the EU Official Journal.
On 6 May this year, the European Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the proposal for a European Commission decision on serous cross-border threats for health (see EUROPE 10842). The proposal, presented in December 2011, was intended to ensure a higher level of EU-level cooperation in the event of health crises, such as the E.coli outbreak in 2011 or the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009. In the agreement negotiated with the Council, MEPs established a procedure that will allow member states to buy medicines together rather than launch separate calls for offers, which will make access to vaccines fairer as prices would be more affordable. The text also introduces the possibility of declaring “a European public health emergency” to accelerate the authorisation of medicines needed to combat the crisis. Furthermore, as some recent epidemics have been linked to viral strains of avian or porcine origin the text aims to ensure that preparedness and response planning in the veterinary and human health sectors are interoperable. The text also stresses that experts involved in the system must work transparently and independently. (IL/transl.jl)