On Wednesday 18 September, the European Commission adopted a recommendation for an EU Council decision on opening negotiations with the European Economic Area (EEA) states of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) (EFTA) for a new agreement on health emergencies in the field of medical countermeasures.
This recommendation stems from the December 2023 joint statement by Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides welcoming the ambition of the three EEA EFTA states to foster closer cooperation with the EU on health preparedness and response (see EUROPE 13314/44).
In reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU adopted several measures to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response to serious cross-border health threats. These measures include regulations on serious cross-border health threats, introducing a strengthened role for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and extending the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. These three pieces of legislation have already been incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
Although preparedness and response to serious cross-border health threats are covered by existing legislation under the EEA Agreement, health emergency measures in the field of medical countermeasures involve policy mechanisms that are currently largely excluded from its scope. Negotiations on the new agreement with the EEA EFTA states will aim to enable closer cooperation with the EU in this area. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)