On Friday 23 July, the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) approved the Council of the EU’s position on two of the three draft regulations that make up the “European Health Union” legislative package.
The two texts in question should make it possible to strengthen the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and to better prepare the EU27 to deal with cross-border health threats, such as pandemics.
Overall, the changes made to both texts by the EU Council aim to give the Member States greater freedom than initially proposed by the Commission. A position that leaves some states wanting more (see EUROPE 12767/8).
On the draft ECDC Regulation (see EUROPE 12746/11), the EU Council mandate foresees, in particular, that the EU Health Task Force, which will be established within the ECDC through this regulation, will provide support to Member States at their request in case of an outbreak.
On cross-border health threats (see EUROPE 12758/20), the main changes concern measures relating to the establishment by States of national preparedness plans for cross-border threats and the review of these plans by the European Union.
Adoption of the package expected by December
The EU Council is therefore now ready to start negotiations with the European Parliament (trilogue) on these two texts as well as on the third draft regulation included in the legislative package for a “European Health Union” - a regulation on the mandate of the European Medicines Agency (see EUROPE 12741/7).
On the MEPs’ side, a negotiating mandate has also been approved for this text (see EUROPE 12758/7). On the cross-border threats and ECDC projects, however, the Parliament’s position is not expected to be formally decided by the plenary until early September.
The Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council has given assurances that it will seek to reach a final agreement on the entire legislative package by the end of its mandate in December (see EUROPE 12760/5). “I count on a swift trilogue process for adoption by the end of 2021”, the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, also stressed on Friday. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)