On Monday 24 February, the European Commission expressed its "full confidence in the Italian authorities", with whom it is in permanent contact, and its confidence also in their health system to contain COVID-19, which has caused five deaths and more than 150 reported cases in the north of the country.
The same confidence was expressed in the capacity of the health systems of all Member States. However, the coordination of the EU response to the epidemic is being strengthened, both internally and externally. This is demonstrated in particular by the mobilisation of €232 million announced the same day by the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, to help fight the epidemic globally by containing the virus.
The scientific basis, proportionality and coordination of measures will remain the rule, including for possible travel restrictions in the Schengen area, assured Mr Lenarčič and his colleague in Health, Stella Kyriakides, at a joint press briefing on Monday morning.
On Monday afternoon, the EU Safety and Health Committee met to take stock of the national measures that have been adopted, with a view to strengthening coordination to ensure their effectiveness. At the time of going to press, the results had not yet been published.
The WHO, for its part, while stressing the need to focus on measures to contain the epidemic, called for preparation for a "possible pandemic", as a pandemic was not yet underway, according to the organisation.
A joint ECDC/WHO mission to Italy on Tuesday. The Commissioner for Health announced that a joint mission of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) will visit Italy on Tuesday 25 February "to support the Italian authorities".
"Ten days ago, we called on Member States to strengthen their preparedness measures. Given the latest developments in Italy, this call was justified", said Lenarčič at a press briefing on Monday morning, recalling that the epidemic has so far claimed more than 2,600 lives and affected 29 countries.
"It's a global challenge. It requires the cooperation of the whole international community and all sectors in the different countries" - a message he addressed to the European Health Ministers at the Extraordinary Health Council, calling for intersectoral cooperation at national level (see EUROPE 12425/1).
On Monday, Italy was planning to convene a meeting with the health ministers of neighbouring countries.
Solidarity with Member States and third countries. Of the €232 million, €114 million will go to the WHO in response to the organisation's call for global preparedness. The remainder is distributed as follows: €15 million for the Pasteur Institute in Dakar (for the development of rapid diagnostics and epidemiological surveillance), "to ensure that countries with weaker health systems are not left behind", stated Mr. Lenarcic; €100 million for research on vaccines and treatments; €45 million for the pharmaceutical industry's contribution to public/private partnerships; €3 million support to EU Member States for the provision of personal protective equipment to China and the repatriation of EU citizens who wish to do so under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (this is not new money).
The shipment of personal protective equipment to China continued on Sunday 23 February, using an Austrian aircraft from Vienna and co-financed by the EU, the Commission confirmed (see EUROPE 12430/16).
The EU is also prepared to continue co-financing measures for the air repatriation of European citizens, but "there are no new requests", said Balazs Ujvari, spokesman for Crisis Management, at noon on Monday. For the time being, however, there are no plans to repatriate citizens from Italy, he said.
"For the time being, the WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions", Commissioner Kyriakides, who is in contact with both the Italian authorities and the WHO, had recalled a few hours earlier.
At the level of the Commission and the European External Action Service, the prevailing advice is always to limit travel to essential meetings.
EU officials returning from China, Hong Kong and Macao will have the opportunity to work at home for 14 days. "It does not concern other countries", so not Italy, a Commission spokesman said.
Due to the "containment decided by the regional government of Lombardy", the official mission of the European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee, which was scheduled for Monday in Milan and Turin on the subject of the space industry, has been cancelled, announced MEP Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe, France).
The WHO, on the other hand, has expressed concern about the potential for spread of the virus in countries with weaker health systems, particularly in Africa, where more than 200 suspected cases have been identified. Hence the EU support measures.
The meeting between the European Commission and the African Union Commission scheduled for Thursday 27 February in Addis Ababa - a meeting for which 22 European Commissioners are due to travel (see EUROPE 12427/7) - is for the time being maintained, said the Commission's deputy spokesperson, Dana Spinant.
"As the number of cases continues to rise, public health is our priority. Whether it is a question of improving preparedness in Europe, China or elsewhere, the international community must work together. Europe is there to play a leading role", assured the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, quoted in a press release. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)