Communication from the Commission to the Council on transitional prolongation and extension of the mandate of the Health Security Committee in view of a future general revision of the structures dealing with health threats at EU level
Date: 2006-11-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: committee (EU), cooperation policy, exchange of information, health control, health risk, management, operation of the Institutions, powers of the institutions (EU), public health

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 16.11.2006 
COM(2006)699 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL 

on transitional prolongation and extension of the mandate of the Health Security 
Committee in view of a future general revision of the structures dealing with health 
threats at EU level 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Background .................................................................................................................. 3 

Purpose and scope ........................................................................................................ 3 

Role of the Health Security Committee in the interim phase (2006-2008).................. 4 

Mandate of the Health Security Committee in the transitional phase until 2008 ........ 5 

Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 6 

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1. 

BACKGROUND  

The Health Security Committee (HSC) was established by the Council in 2001 at the occasion 
of a discussion following the bioterrorist attacks in the USA where the cardinal role of public 
health  bodies  in  the  fight  against  bioterrorism  was  recognised.  The  Committee  is  given  the 
responsibility to exchange information on health-related threats and to share information and 
experience on preparedness and response plans and crisis management strategies. In addition, 
the  HSC  ensures  rapid  communication  in  case  of  health-related  crises,  co-ordinating  on 
preparedness  and  response,  emergency  planning  at  EU-level,  and  responses  by  Member 
States. The members of the HSC were nominated by Health Ministers at the end of 2001. 

The Council reviewed the activities of the HSC, on the basis of a report from the Commission 
services, in 2004. The HSC's mandate was extended to maintain support to Community work 
on Influenza preparedness.  

A  Working  Party  of  the  HSC  discussed  in  June  2005  the  possible  scope  and  terms  of 
references  of  the  Committee,  notably  in  the  light  of  the  European  Centre  for  Disease 
Prevention and Control in Stockholm being now operational, and identified further activities, 
priorities  and  deliverables  on  the  basis  of  the  Strategy  document  on  Generic  Preparedness 
Planning for EU public health threats. 

The HSC has established relations with: 
–  The Community Network on communicable diseases1, in particular with the EWRS (Early 
Warning  and  Response  System),  and  the  ESCON  (Epidemiological  Surveillance 
Component of the Community Network), surveillance and epidemiological activities which 
are now managed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).  

–  The  European  Centre  for  Disease  Prevention  and  Control  (ECDC).  The  ECDC 
complements Community activities in public health by delivering technical and scientific 
advice,  risk  assessment.  The  ECDC  is  now  fully  operational  and  is  expected  to  provide 
continuous scientific and technical support to the HSC. 

The work of the HSC, since its establishment in 2001 has led, inter alia, to the adoption of a 
Commission  Communication  on  cooperation  in  the  European  Union  on  preparedness  and 
response to biological and chemical agent attacks (health security)2; Communications by the 
Commission  on  pandemic  influenza  preparedness  and  response  in  the  Community3,  and  on 
strengthening coordination on generic preparedness planning for public health emergencies at 
EU level4. 

2. 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE 

This Communication proposes to extend the mandate for the Health Security Committee for 
the  coming  three  years,  also  enlarging  its  scope  until  a  general  review  of  all  the  legal 

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Established by the European Parliament and Council Decision 2119/98/EC 
COM (2003) 320 final 
COM (2005) 607 final 
COM (2005) 605 final 

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provisions and other arrangements in the area of health threats is carried out. The Commission 
intends to come up with appropriate proposals during 2008, including one on the revision of 
the  ECDC  Regulation5.  This  review  will  aim  at  the  creation  of  a  coherent  soundly-based 
framework  which  will  be  comprised  of  the  ECDC  and  the  Community  Network  on 
epidemiological  surveillance  and  control  of  communicable  diseases,  and  their  supporting 
structures.  TAs  a  part  of  this  process,  the  responsibilities  of  the  ECDC  and  its  cooperation 
with the HSC will also be reviewed, based on the experience resulting from this transitional 
period.  

The following issues will need to be examined as part of this review: 

•  How  to  address  health  threats  that  are  not  caused  by  biological  agents  (chemical, 

environmental, radio-nuclear, whether naturally occurring or man-made) 

•  Further development of inter-operability in preparedness and response to health threats 

•  Procedures to ensure coordinated communication to the public, in particular during health 

emergencies 

•  Ensuring full complementarity of all expert groups and committees working in the area of 

health threats, both under the Commission and ECDC 

•  Establishing  coherent  procedures  for  the  adoption  of  decisions,  recommendations  and 

guidance dealing with health threats 

•  Integrated operation of existing rapid alert systems in the area of health threats, taking full 
account  of  the  notification  system  to  be  established  according  to  Art.  29  (i)  of  Directive 
2002/98/EC (Community procedure for notifying serious adverse reactions and events and 
notification format related to human blood and blood components). 

•  Taking  full  account  of  the  ongoing  implementation  process  of  the  revised  WHO 

International Health Regulations. 

•  Possibilities  for  observers  from  neighbourhood  and  third  countries  to  attend  relevant 

meetings where appropriate 

3. 

ROLE OF THE HEALTH SECURITY COMMITTEE IN THE INTERIM PHASE (2006-2008) 

The general review of the structures in the field of health threats will take time, in particular 
to  take  account  of  the  evaluation  of  the  ECDC  activities  planned  to  be  completed  in  2008. 
However, the mandate of the HSC should be updated now, to bridge the interim period. 

The core functions of the HSC are two-fold: preparedness and threat management. The first 
consists of a preparedness forum, convened at regular intervals, the second a pro-active health 
crisis co-ordination, information exchange and advisory forum, acting on-the-spot in times of 
crisis, particularly when there are needs for intersectoral or security issues coordination (i.e. 
significant  action  extends  beyond  the  health  sector).  The  HSC  facilitates  coordinated  policy 
decision  making  between  Member  States  and  at  EU-level  on  public  health  issues  that  are 

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Regulation (EC) No. 851/2004 of the European Parliament and the Council 

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within its mandate. This includes an input to the implementation process of the International 
Health Regulations by WHO as set out in the Communication from the European Commission 
to the European Parliament and the Council on the International Health Regulations6. 

Preparedness: the Communications on Generic Preparedness Planning and the EU Influenza 
plan stress the importance of preparedness. This needs to address major threats to health and 
to  society,  caused  by  biological,  chemical,  radio-nuclear,  environmental  events  be  they 
occurring deliberately, naturally, or accidentally. The HSC assesses the scientific and echnical 
advice  provided,  inter  alia,  by  EU  agencies  in  the  context  of  the  political,  social,  and 
economic implications for public health issues. In the context of influenza preparedness, the 
ECDC  will  continue  to  provide  decision  makers  with  the  scientific  advice  and  support 
towards  improved  preparedness  at  National  and  Community  level.  The  Committee  reviews 
and  coordinates  exchange  of  information  on  measures  to  be  implemented  at  national  level 
with regard to their supranational impact. 

Threat  and  crisis  management:  the  Committee  members  exchange  information  on  health-
related threats to ensure rapid communication in case of major health-related crises, advising 
on preparedness and response as well as on co-ordination of emergency planning at EU-level. 
This includes sharing and communicating information, co-ordination of information exchange 
on  health-related  responses  and  measures  by  Member  States  and  co-ordination  and 
cooperation in Europe, where this co-ordination is not provided by the Community Network 
for communicable diseases.  Operational procedures  to  ensure such  co-ordination and timely 
scientific support by the ECDC in times of crisis will be established. 

4. 

MANDATE  OF  THE  HEALTH  SECURITY  COMMITTEE  IN  THE  TRANSITIONAL  PHASE 
UNTIL 2008 

The Health Security Committee (HSC) provides a forum for high-level representatives of the 
Member States to co-ordinate and advise on choices and decisions to be adopted either by the 
Council, the Commission or by MS in preparedness and response to major health threats and 
to act as an interface between different actors at European level. The HSC provides a forum at 
European  level  that  coordinates  information  on  intersectoral  approaches  and  health  security 
issues towards co-ordinated measures to the national level. 

The  HSC  contributes  to  improve  the  management,  at  Community  level  and  in  the  Member 
States,  of  health  risks, 
through  addressing  multi-sectoral  and 
interdisciplinary  questions.  It  proposes  best  solutions,  focusing  on  preparedness  work  for 
chemical,  biological  and  radio-nuclear  (CBRN)  threats  and  major  health  threats  such  as 
pandemic influenza and follow up the work on generic preparedness planning. 

threats  and  crisis, 

The HSC provides a setting to enable Member States’ representatives to meet when action is 
needed  that  surpasses  the  regular  outbreak  response  ensured  by  the  EWRS  authorities  as 
foreseen  in  Decision  2119/98/EC  because  of  its  multi-sectorial  nature  or  because  the 
responsibility for action is exclusively with the MS. 

The HSC is comprised  of  high-level representatives of the Health Ministers of EU Member 
States  authorised  to  make  co-ordinated  decisions  and  commitments  with  respect  to 
preparedness planning and response to major health threats.  

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COM (2006) 552 final 

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Membership  of  the  Committee  is  restricted  to  one  representative  and  his  or  her  deputy  for 
each  Member  State.  Nominations  by  Health  Ministers  are  to  be  addressed  to  the  Director-
General  for  Health  and  Consumer  Protection  at  the  European  Commission.  The  ECDC  and 
EMEA  are  represented.  Representatives  of  acceding  Member  States,  WHO,  EEA  countries 
and Switzerland are invited to participate as observers in non-restricted discussions. Security 
clearance is necessary for membership. 

The  HSC  can  delegate  precise  tasks  or  areas  of  work  to  working  groups,  composed  of  its 
members. Experts can be invited to the meetings. Operating procedures and working methods 
for the Committee and its working groups will be agreed by the Committee. 

5. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The Commission invites the Council to adopt conclusions which endorse the mandate of the 
Health Security Committee as outlined above in  section 4 and allow for  the  continuation of 
the existing cooperation within the Health Security Committee. 

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