Brussels, 13/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - Since the attacks on 11 September, the European Commission has been examining the possibility of mobilising resources, capabilities and networks in the field of civil protection in order to strengthen the EU's ability to react to the terrorist threat. This resulted, on 12 June, in a communication that takes stock of progress made in this connection. Hence, in future, a country hit by any kind of major emergency including the consequences of terrorist threats, will be able to call on the help of coordinated EU intervention teams. These teams, which will have the latest technical resources at their disposal, will be coordinated by the Commission with the support of the best qualified European experts.
In the context of its civil protection mechanism, the Commission has created a Monitoring and Information Centre which is operational on a 24 hour basis. In the event of emergency, the centre will make it possible to identify the most appropriate intervention teams and resources without delay and to send them where they are needed. Information on nuclear, bacteriological and chemical expertise and on the immediate access to information on serum and vaccines is now also collected and coordinated through the centre. Over the next few weeks, intensive training exercises and simulation exercises will begin to allow teams from different Member States to work together effectively in the case of emergency, despite differences between national systems. The Commission notes that, by testing the reaction capacity of the Member States and their emergency plans, the EU may confirm and adjust, where necessary, its overall reaction capacity in the face of emergency.
In parallel to these coordination and training actions, the Commission has also been working to develop interfaces between the civil protection coordination mechanism and the health sector. In the pharmaceutical field, it has set up a joint task force with the industry to draw up an inventory on availability and capacity for production, stockpiling and distribution of serums, vaccines and antibiotics likely to be used to counter bacteriological attack. At the request of the Commission, the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products has set up two working parties, to compile a guide on the use of medicines for potential pathogens and to draw up specific recommendations on vaccines, including smallpox vaccines. With the support of Member State Health Ministers, the Commission has also defined a health security programme in the event of biological or chemical attacks. A network accessible 24 hours a day has been established to ensure exchange of information. Work is underway to establish at EU level the capacity to detect the principal chemical and biological agents that could be used in terrorist attacks and to enable rapid detection and diagnosis. Work is also being carried out to publish rules and advice on health measures to be taken in the event of attack. These are being prepared in coordination with third countries and international organisations such as the WHO.