2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 1
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►B COMMISSIONDECISION
of22December 1999
onthecommunicablediseasestobeprogressivelycoveredbytheCommunitynetworkunderDeci-
sionNo2119/98/ECoftheEuropeanParliament andoftheCouncil
(notified under document number C(1999) 4015)
(2000/96/EC)
(OJ L 28, 3.2.2000, p. 50)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Decision 2003/534/EC of 17 July 2003 L 184 35 23.7.2003
►M2Commission Decision 2003/542/EC of 17 July 2003 L 185 55 24.7.2003
▼B
COMMISSIONDECISION
of22December 1999
on the communicable diseases to be progressively covered by the
Community network under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the
EuropeanParliament andoftheCouncil
(notified under document number C(1999) 4015)
(2000/96/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for theepidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases inthe Community (
1), and in particular Article 3(a) to (e) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)According to Decision No 2119/98/EC, a network at Community
level isto be s et up to promote cooperation and coordinationbetween the Member States, with the assistance of the Commis-sion, with a view to improving the prevention and control, in theCommunity, of the categories of communicable diseases speci-
fied in the Annex to that Decision. That network is to be used
for the epidemiological surveillance of those diseases and forthe establishment of an early warning and response system.
(2)Asregardsepidemiological s urveillance, the network isto beestablished by bringing into permanent communication with oneanother through all appropriate technical means the Commission
and those structures and/or authorities which, at the level of each
Member State and under the responsibility of that Member State,are competent at national level and are charged with collectinginformation relating to the epidemiological surveillance ofcommunicable diseases.
(3)The diseases and health issues selected for coverage by epide-
miological surveillance at Community level should reflect the
present needs in the Community, in particular the added valueof surveillance at Community level.
(4)The list of diseases or health issues selected for surveillanceshould be altered in response to changes in disease prevalenceand in response to the emergence of new communicable diseases
threatening public health.
(5)The Commission should provide the Community network with
the appropriate information tools, while ensuring consistencyand complementarity with the relevant Community programmesand initiatives.
(6)This Decision should apply without prejudice to Council Direc-
tive 92/117/EEC of 17 December 1992 concerning measures for
protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonoticagentsin animalsand productsof animal origin in order toprevent outbreaksof food-borne infectionsand intoxications(
2),
aslas t amended by Directive 1999/72/EC of the EuropeanParliament and of the Council (
3).
(7)This Decision should facilitate the integration of the Communitynetwork set up under Decision No 2119/98/EC with other rapidalert networks set up at national or Community level for diseasesand special health issues to be covered by the early warning andresponse system. For the purpose of its implementation, theCommunity network should therefore operate by using the2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 62, 15.3.1993, p. 38.
(3) OJ L 210, 10.8.1999, p. 12.
▼B
Health Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases within
the European Public Health Information Network (Euphin-HSSCD), consisting of three components:
(a) an early warning and response system for reports of speci-
fied threatsto the public trans mitted by the competent
public health authorities of each Member State responsiblefor determining measures which may be required to protectpublic health;
(b) exchange of information between accredited structures and
authoritiesof the Member Statesrelevant to public health;
(c) specific networks on diseases selected for epidemiological
surveillance between accredited structures and authorities ofthe Member States.
(8)The development of new useful technologies should be moni-tored on a regular basis and taken into consideration for theimprovement of electronic information exchange.
(9)For logistic reasons, not all communicable diseases or specialhealth issues selected for epidemiological surveillance canimmediately be covered by dedicated surveillance networkarrangements. Nevertheless, in order that the Communitynetwork can begin to work and gain experience, the competentauthorities in the Member States should disseminated in the
Community network relevant information in their possession.
(10)The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance
with the opinion of the Committee set up by Article 7 of Deci-sion No 2119/98/EC,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The communicable diseases and special health issues to be covered by
epidemiological surveillance in the Community network pursuant toDecision No 2119/98/EC are listed in Annex I to this Decision. Thesurveilance shall be performed in a cost-effective way having regard
to the nature of the disease, the existing networks and the Community
added value.
Article 2
The criteria for the selection of the diseases and special health issues to
be covered by epidemiological surveillance within the Communitynetwork are listed in Annex II.
Article 3
For the purpose of the technical implementation of this Decision, the
Community network shall initially operate by using the Health Surveil-lance System for Communicable Diseases within the European PublicHealth Information Network (Euphin-HSSCD).
Article 4
►
M21.◄The Community network shall be put in place by
modifying and integrating asappropriate exis ting Community-supported surveillance networks and by building up new networks fordiseases not yet covered by surveillance networks. Where a low
number of cases of a disease does not allow for a dedicated surveil-
lance network to be put in place for that disease, surveillanceinformation within the Community network shall be shared on the basisof case reports.
2. The communicable diseases and special health issues for which a
dedicated surveillance network has been put in place are marked withan asterisk in Annex I.2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 3
▼M2
▼M2
Member States shall, through their designated structures and/or autho-
rities, specify a contact point for each dedicated surveillance network,delegated to be their national representative to provide data and infor-
mation in accordance with Articles3 and 4 of Decis ion No 2119/98/
EC.
Each dedicated surveillance network will collect relevant surveillance
data and information, will ensure coordination within its structure, andwill without delay communicate them to the Community network.
The dedicated surveillance network will also provide the Community
network with its operating procedures, addressing at least the topics
listed in Annex III.
Article 5
Case definitions, the nature and type of data for collection and trans-
mission as well as the appropriate epidemiological andmicrobiological surveillance methods shall be determined for eachspecific surveillance network integrated into or created for the Commu-nity network. Case definitions and surveillance methods shall also be
determined for diseases on which information is shared by case reports
only.
Article 6
Member States shall disseminate in the Community network relevant
information in their possession detected in their national surveillancesystem on communicable diseases or special health issues selected forepidemiological surveillance not yet covered by dedicated Communitysurveillance network arrangements.
Article 7
Relevant information on communicable diseases not listed in Annex I
shall be disseminated through the Community network, in accordance
with Article 4 of Decision No 2119/98/EC, whenever this is found
necessary in order to protect public health in the Community.
Article 8
Where specific surveillance networks are put in place for zoonoses for
which surveillance of human cases is required under Directive 92/117/EEC, that surveillance shall be performed in accordance with DecisionNo 2119/98/EC, and such data required for the implementation ofDirective 92/117/EC shall be made fully available for that purpose.To this end, case definitions and surveillance methods for human
disease shall be drawn up, as far as possible, in such a way that the
data collected serve also Directive 92/117/EC.
Article 9
The competent authoritiesin the Member Statess hall communicate to
the Commission other diseases and special health issues for whichepidemiological surveillance at Community level shall be progressivelydeveloped on the basis of the criteria listed in Annex II.
Article 10
This Decision shall take effect on 1 January 2000.
Article 11
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 4
▼B
▼M2
ANNEX I
1.COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND SPECIAL HEALTH ISSUES
TO BE PROGRESSIVELY COVEREDBY THE COMMUNITY
NETWORKASREFERREDTOINARTICLE1
1.1.Forthecommunicablediseasesandspecialhealthissueslistedinthis
Annex, epidemiological surveillance within the Community network
is to be performed by the standardised collection and analysis of
datainawaythatistobedeterminedforeachcommunicabledisease
andspecialhealthissuewhenspecificdedicatedsurveillancenetworks
areputinplace.
2.DISEASES
2.1.Diseasespreventablebyvaccination
DiphtheriaInfectionswith Haemophilus influenza group B (*)
Influenza (*)
Measles (*)
MumpsPertussis (*)PoliomyelitisRubella
Smallpox
Tetanus
2.2.Sexually-transmitteddiseases
Chlamydia infectionsGonococcal infectionsHIV-infection (*)
Syphilis
2.3.Viralhepatitis
HepatitisAHepatitisBHepatitisC
2.4.Food-andwater-bornediseasesanddiseasesofenvironmentalorigin
Anthrax
Botulism
CampylobacteriosisCryptosporidiosisGiardiasisInfection with Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (*)
Leptospirosis
ListeriosisSalmonellosis (*)ShigellosisToxoplasmosis2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 5
(*) Those communicable diseases and special health issues for which a dedicated surveil-
lance network is in place are marked with an asterisk.
▼M2
Trichinosis
Yersinosis
2.5.Otherdiseases
2.5.1.Diseases transmitted by non-conventional agents
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob's
disease (*)
2.5.2.Air-borne diseases
Legionellosis (*)
Meningococcal disease (*)Pneumococcal infections
Tuberculosis (*)
2.5.3.Zoonoses (other than those listed in 2.4)
Brucellosis
Echinococcosis
RabiesQ-fever
Tularaemia
2.5.4.Serious imported diseases
Cholera
Malaria
PlagueViral haemorrhagic fevers(*)
3.SPECIALHEALTHISSUES
3.1.Nosocomialinfections
3.2.Antimicrobialresistance (*)2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 6
(*) Those communicable diseases and special health issues for which a dedicated surveil-
lance network is in place are marked with an asterisk.
▼B
ANNEX II
Criteria for selection of communicable diseases of special areas to be
coveredbyepidemiological surveillancewithinthenetwork.
1. Dieseases that cause, or have the potential to cause, significant morbidity
and/or mortality across the Community, especially where the prevention of
the diseases requires a global approach to coordination.
2. Diseases where the exchange of information may provide early warning of
threatsto public health.
3. Rare and serious diseases which would not be recognised at national level
and where the pooling of data would allow hypothesis generation from a
wider knowledge base.
4. Diseases for which effective preventive measures are available with a protec-
tive health gain.
5. Diseases for which a comparison by Member States would contribute to the
evaluation of national and Community programmes.2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 7
▼M2
ANNEX III
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED BY OPERATING PROCEDURES OF
DEDICATED SURVEILLANCE NETWORKS TO BE SUBMITTED TO
THECOMMUNITYNETWORKASREFERREDTOINARTICLE4.2
1. Coordinating structure and decision-making process.
2. Project management administration and supervision.3. Case definitions, nature, and type of data to be collected.
4. Data management and protection, including data access and confidentiality.
5. Waysin which data are made comparable and compatible (quality require-
mentsand data validation).
6. Appropriate technical meansand the proceduresby which the data are to be
disseminated and analysed at Community level (data dissemination and
reporting).
7. Proposed public health action, infection control procedures, and laboratory
procedures.2000D0096 — EN — 24.07.2003 — 002.001 — 8