Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control activities on Communicable diseases: the positive outcomes since the Centre's establishment and the planned activities and resource needs {SEC(2008) 2792}
Date: 2008-11-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, activity report, multiannual financial framework

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.11.2008 
COM(2008) 741 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control activities on Communicable 
diseases: the positive outcomes since the Centre's establishment and the planned 
activities and resource needs  

{SEC(2008) 2792}

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control activities on Communicable 
diseases: the positive outcomes since the Centre's establishment, planned future 
activities and resources needs 

INTRODUCTION 

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is a European Union (EU) 
agency  tasked  with  monitoring,  assessing  and  communicating  threats  to  human  health  from 
communicable  diseases.  The  Centre  is  based  in  Stockholm  and  became  operational  in  May 
2005. 

While public health remains primarily a Member State competence in the EU, ECDC supports 
the  work  of  Europe’s  national  disease  control  agencies.  The  Centre  gathers  epidemic 
intelligence from across the world and supports an EU wide rapid alert system on infectious 
disease  outbreaks.  It  produces  EU-level  statistics  and  analysis  on  all  the  major  infectious 
diseases.  When  the  alert  system  identifies  an  outbreak  of  EU  level  significance,  or  when  a 
worrying  trend  is  identified  in  the  statistics,  ECDC  rapidly  produces  an  assessment  of  the 
level  of  threat  posed  to  public  health  in  Europe.  Where  there  are  issues  requiring  EU-level 
scientific  advice  ECDC  pools  knowledge  and  expertise  from  across  Europe  to  produce  this. 
At a Member State request, ECDC would dispatch experts to the field in support of national 
authorities  dealing  with  an  outbreak.  In  all  its  activities  ECDC  works  closely  with  the 
European  Commission,  Member  States  and  other  partners  such  as  the  World  Health 
Organization (WHO) to prevent and control diseases, and to communicate its findings to the 
European public health community and the wider European public. 

Results from an independent evaluation of ECDC’s activities show that its core stakeholders - 
the Commission and Member States – value the services the Centre provides and regard it as 
making a significant contribution to the fight against infectious diseases.  

Nonetheless,  the  Centre  is  still  in  an  early  stage  of  its  development.  The  core  services  it 
provides  are  useful,  but  do  not  meet  all  the  needs  and  expectations  of  its  stakeholders.  For 
example,  additional  extensive  work  is  needed  to  improve  the  quality  and  comparability  of 
EU-wide disease surveillance data. ECDC’s work on building up the public health capacity of 
Member  States  requires  consolidation  and  development,  and  the  expert  support  it  can  offer 
individual national authorities is currently rather limited. Moreover much remains to be done 
on  building  up  the  knowledge  base  on  effective  prevention  measures  against  infectious 
diseases. 

In  2007,  ECDC’s  Management  Board,  which  includes  representatives  from  all  Member 
States,  the  European  Commission  and  the  European  Parliament,  adopted  a  Strategic  Multi-
annual Programme for the Centre up until 20131, articulating what the expected achievements 
by  2013,  and  the  resources  needed.  Though  the  level  of  investment  asked  for  in  this 

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http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/About_us/Key_documents/Documents/ECDC_MAS_.pdf 

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programme is significant, it needs to be put into the context of both the economic and human 
impact of infectious diseases 

Effective EU-level cooperation can help improve disease prevention and control efforts across 
Europe,  build  preparedness  against  major  epidemics  and  ensure  more  routine  outbreaks  are 
rapidly  contained.  Strengthening  the  EU  level  capacity  in  this  area  is  therefore  a  wise 
investment.  

1. AIM OF THE PRESENT COMMUNICATION 

This  communication,  together  with  the  attached  financial  statement,  aims  to  provide  an 
overview  of  what  ECDC  has  done  in  the  first  three  years  of  its  existence  and  its  plans  for 
future development. In doing this, the communication will focus in particular, on:  

•  The priorities identified in ECDC’s Strategic Multi-annual Programme for 2007 – 
2013  in  order  for  the  Centre  to  fulfil  its  mandate  of  strengthening  Europe’s 
defences against infectious diseases 

•  The financial perspectives 2007-2013 

•  Elements of the outcome of the external evaluation of the Centre 

•  The European added value of the Centre in its first years of existence  

2. CURRENT MANDATE 

According to Regulation EC 851/2004 founding the ECDC, “The Centre’s mission should be 
to identify, assess, and communicate regarding current and emerging threats to human health 
from  communicable  diseases.  In  the  case  of  outbreaks  of  illness  of  unknown  origin  which 
may spread within or to the Community, the Centre should be empowered to act on its own 
initiative until the source of the outbreak is known and then in cooperation with the competent 
bodies at national and Community level as relevant”.  

3. THE MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS (2005-2007) 

Overview 

In  the  areas  of  disease  surveillance  and  the  rapid  alerts,  it  is  important  to  acknowledge  that 
ECDC  built  on  systems  that  were  in  place  prior  to  its  creation.  The  first  networks  for 
gathering  Europe-wide  data  on  infectious  diseases  (on  HIV/AIDS  and  tuberculosis)  were 
created more than a decade before ECDC became operational. By 2005, when ECDC started 
work,  there  were  a  total  of  17  Dedicated  Surveillance  Networks  (DSNs)  gathering  data  on 
different  diseases  or  disease  groups.  Each  had  its  own  structures,  reporting  systems  and 
databases. One of the key challenges for ECDC in its start up phase has been to move towards 
a  more  integrated  system  of  gathering  EU-level  data  on  infectious  diseases.  ECDC  has 
gradually been taking over the activities of these networks and creating a “one stop shop” for 
EU-level data. 

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In the area of rapid alerts, ECDC has, since 2007, been hosting the EU’s Early Warning and 
Response  System  on  Health  Threats  (EWRS)  on  behalf  of  the  European  Commission.  This 
secure system allows Member State health authorities to exchange alerts on disease outbreaks 
that  have  the  potential  to  spread  across  borders.  While  it  had  been  in  existence  for  several 
years prior, ECDC adds its capacity to analyse epidemic intelligence - information gathered 
from the media and other non-official sources from across the world – as well as capacity to 
rapidly analyse threats when they are identified.  

ECDC’s  capability  to  produce  risk  assessments  and  scientific  advice  to  inform  EU  level 
decision  making  is  a  new  development  in  Europe’s  health  security.  In  2003,  when  SARS 
became an issue of concern globally and to all EU countries, there was no mechanism in place 
to  produce  a  common  assessment  of  the  risk  posed  to  Europe  or  to  advise  on  the  level  of 
response needed. Countries took differing views on issues such as whether people entering the 
EU from affected countries should be screened for SARS, and whether EU citizens should be 
advised against travelling to the Far East. The relevance of reaching a common EU view on 
such  measures  is  this:  given  the  open  borders  between  EU  countries,  screening  of  people 
entering the EU can only be effective if it is done by all Member States.  

As  well  as  having  capacity  and  systems  in  place  to  respond  to  emergencies,  ECDC  works 
with  the  Commission  and  Member  States  to  strengthen  the  EU’s  preparedness  against 
epidemics  and  to  strengthen  its  overall  prevention  and  control  systems  against  the  key 
infectious diseases that threaten people’s health. These elements of building preparedness and 
strengthening  the  public  health  knowledge  base  are  new  activities  at  EU  level.  And  though 
training of public health experts was funded under the EU Public Health Programme prior to 
the creation of ECDC, this capacity building function has been very significantly expanded by 
ECDC. 

The Centre has a remit to identify important gaps in evidence-based public health knowledge, 
and identification of such gaps is a regular part of the scientific advice and scientific opinions 
produced  by  ECDC.  To  address  these  needs  for  public  health  oriented  research  the  Centre 
works  closely  with  DG  SANCO  (and  its  health  programme)  and  DG  RTD  (mainly  its 
framework programme). 

The coordination with DG SANCO includes formal meetings of ECDC and SANCO C3 for 
sharing  work  programmes  with  a  monitoring  through  bi-monthly  video  conferences.  The 
coordination  with  DG  RTD  is  ensured  through  participation  of  the  Director  of  ECDC  as 
member  of  the  DG  RTD  Advisory  Board  (notably  to  have  needs  for  public  health  oriented 
research identified by the ECDC experts taken into account in the calls for proposals launched 
by  DG  RTD).  In  addition  frequent  contacts  occur  between  Commission  and  ECDC  staff 
around a number of initiatives, and where research needs are discussed, two recent examples 
being a meeting on the need for new diagnostic tools for tuberculosis and another a meeting 
on the need for research on influenza transmission.  

Through  these  formal  and  informal  mechanisms  ECDC  aims  at  creating  synergies  and 
avoiding overlaps with other Community funded programmes in its areas of activity.  

Evaluation of the Centre 

The  External  Evaluation  of  the  Centre  was  commissioned  via  an  open  call  for  tender  in 
May 2007 to assess (a) the possible need to extend the scope of the Centre’s mission to other 

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relevant  Community-level  activities  in  the  field  of  public  health,  particularly  to  health 
monitoring, and (b) the timing of further such reviews (article 31 Regulation 851/2004/EC). 

The final report2 was submitted to the Management Board in September 2008. The evaluators 
concluded  that  the  “ECDC  has  done  well,  considering  its  context,  i.e,  being  operational  for 
only  two  years”.  The  report  concludes  that"  the  existence  of  ECDC  is  considered  justified 
and that it can start deepening its activities"  and confirms  further that the "Centre  made a 
significant  contribution 
in 
establishing itself as an independent centre of scientific excellence, is seen by stakeholders 
as an added value providing notably very useful information and networking and that it has 
a clear presence on the international stage". The evaluators have also identified a number of 
issues  that  need  to  be  addressed,  in  particular  further  building  on  the  collaboration  on  risk 
communication  between  the  different  actors  involved  as  well  as  clarification  of  roles  and 
responsibilities  of  the  Commission,  ECDC  and  Member  States  in  risk  assessment  and  risk 
management .  

to  fighting  against  communicable  diseases,  succeeded 

The external evaluators also recommend ECDC to continue to improve efficiency notably by 
further  developing  management  information  systems,  increasing  coordination  between 
functional  units  and  horizontal  disease  specific  programmes  and  better  defining  working 
procedures. 

Concerning  the  possible  change  in  mandate  of  the  agency,  the  external  evaluation  report 
concludes  that  ECDC  should  focus  on  the  consolidation  of  current  tasks,  providing 
opportunities for the Centre to start new activities within the existing mandate. . 

4. THE CHALLENGES (2007-2013) 

Fulfilling  the  mandate  through  implementation  of  the  Strategic  Multi-annual 
Programme 

In  accordance  with  the  article  14.5(d)  of  ECDC’s  founding  regulation,  the  Centre’s 
management Board has adopted in June 2007 a Strategic Multi-annual Programme 2007-2013 
which is the frame for the implementation of its tasks as defined in its mandate. The Annual 
Work Programmes of the Centre for 2007 and 2008 were designed accordingly. The analysis 
of the state of communicable diseases in the  EU achieved in the context of the first Annual 
Epidemiological Report enabled the Centre to identify the key challenges Europe faces. The 
Multi-annual Strategy sought to address these.  

Seven operational targets have been identified. Work will be extended to a number of priority 
actions.  The  following  table  summarizes  the  main  axes  of  the  Multi-annual  Strategic 
Programme and their correspondence to the current ECDC operational structure.  

Targets of the ECDC SMWP 2007-2013 

The  ECDC 
(and 
reference to founding Regulation) 

structure 

By 2013 

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http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/About_us/Key_documents/..... 

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their  health  consequences, 

1.  ‘ECDC  will  have  made  significant  contributions 
to  the  scientific  knowledge  base  of  communicable 
diseases  and 
their 
underlying  determinants,  the  methods  for  their 
prevention and control, and the design characteristics 
that  enhance  effectiveness  and  efficiency  of  their 
prevention and control programmes’.  

Disease specific programs:  

a. Respiratory tract infections ( 
influenza and TB );  

b. Sexually transmitted infections 
including HIV and blood-borne 
viruses;  

c. Food and water-borne diseases 
and zoonoses;  

d. Emerging and vector-borne 
diseases; 

e. Vaccine preventable diseases; 

f. Antimicrobial resistance and 
health care associated infections; 

(Article 2, decision 2119/98/EC) 

2. ‘ECDC will  be  the focal point for communicable 
disease  surveillance  in  the  European  Union  and  the 
authoritative  point  of  reference  for  strengthening 
surveillance systems in the Member States’. 

Surveillance 

(Article 5, 11)  

3.‘  ECDC’s  reputation  for  scientific  excellence  and 
leadership  will  be  firmly  established  among  its 
partners in public health, and ECDC will be a major 
resource  for  scientific  information  and  advice  on 
communicable  diseases  for  the  Commission,  the 
European  Parliament,  the  Member  States  and  their 
citizens’. 

4. ‘ECDC will be the reference support point in the 
European  Union  for  the  detection,  assessment, 
investigation  and  coordinated  response  to  emerging 
including 
threats  from  communicable  diseases, 
threats  related  to  intentional  release  of  biological 
agents, and diseases of unknown origin’. 

Scientific advise 

(Article 6) 

Preparedness and response 

(Article 8, 10)) 

5. ‘By 2013, ECDC will be the key reference support 
centre  in  the  European  Union  for  strengthening  and 
building capacity through training for the prevention 
and  control  of  communicable  diseases  and  diseases 
of an unknown origin’. 

Training 

(Article 9) 

6.  ‘By  the  year  2013,  ECDC  communication  output 
will  be  the  main  European  source  of  authoritative 
and independent scientific and technical information 

Health communication 

(Articles 11, 12) 

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in its field and ECDC the reference support point in 
the  European  Union  for  risk  communication  on 
communicable diseases’. 

7.  ‘ECDC  will  have  a  structured  communicable 
disease  cooperation  programme  with  all  of  the 
Member  States,  the  Commission  and  other  relevant 
European  Union  agencies,  and  it  will  enjoy  a  close 
partnership with WHO and other selected partners at 
regional and global levels’.  

8.  ‘To  provide  governance, 
leadership,  ensure 
streamlined  management,  organization  and  to  foster 
excellence  in  providing  services  and  in  facilitating 
the operational activities of the Centre, to ensure that 
the  human  and  financial  resources  are  properly  and 
efficiently  managed  and  to  make  the  Centre  a  good 
working environment’. 

Partnerships 

(Articles 4, 5, 10,12) 

Director's Cabinet and 
Administration 

Planned prioritized activities and the subsequent staffing needs 

The main development challenge for ECDC is to assure coverage in expertise for all of the 55 
disease  fields  for  which  ECDC  has  responsibility  and  which  is  currently  not  yet  the  case. 
Therefore,  a  large  part  of  additional  staff  resources  are  foreseen  in  the  disease  specific 
programmes, while also the increase of functional units capacity focuses on expertise in the 
disease fields.  

The expertise required for ECDC tasks is moreover specialized, with a requirement for mainly 
medical  doctors,  and  hence  proposals  for  appropriate  grading3  and  with  technical  and 
administrative support so that they can fully focus on their expertise role. 

The Workload Indicators 

Target 1 (Diseases specific Programmes) 

No of EU Disease Specific Plans (in place) 

No  of  initiatives  in  support  of  DSP*  plans  and 
country strengthening 

No Country visits 

DSP guidance documents 

*Disease Specific Programmes  

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

% 
variation 
2008/2010 

Staffing 
increase 
2008/2010 

89%(a) 

0 

3 

4 

3 

1 

7 

7 

5 

2 

5 

400% 

14 

10 

9 

18 

15 

12 

157% 

114% 

140% 

3 

The Centre is further committed to duly document and detail the future staffing plans in the context of 
the Multi-annual Staff Policy Plans and to align them to Commission guidelines 

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(a) 16 additional staff to reach 34, including mainly 
senior experts in AMR, legionella surveillance, food 
and  waterborne  diseases,  influenza-  fields  identified 
as  priorities  where  capacities  need  to  be  built  or 
strengthened.  

Target 2 (Surveillance) 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

45%(b) 

0 

8 

2 

14 

215 

150 

150 

-30%** 

12 

4 

17 

18 

8 

28 

27 

11 

28 

125% 

175% 

65% 

TESSy* support / Member State training  

Enhanced  information  on  Diseases  reported  under 
TESSy (47 diseases) 

No of reports 

No of expert meetings 

(coordination groups, surveillance working groups) 

*TESSy: The European Surveillance System 

**The basis year 2008 is the year of introduction of 
TESSy, therefore there were more training session  

(b)  10  additional  staff  to  reach  32,  needed  to  up-
scale  the  coordination  capacity  and  expertise  in 
order  to  ensure  transfer  of  all  the  networks  to 
ECDC,  mostly  posts  of  experts  in  data  management 
and general surveillance 

Target 3 (Scientific Advise) 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

59%(c) 

No  Scientific  opinions  and  Guidance  to  Member 
States 

No Rapid advice on Commission/EP request 

No News/Updates with critical scientific findings 

No Expert meetings 

10 

8 

50 

7 

12 

20 

75 

10 

14 

30 

20 

30 

67% 

50% 

120 

150 

100% 

25 

35 

250% 

No weekly hours for scientific support  

100 

150 

180 

200 

33% 

(  c  )  10  additional  staff  to  reach  27  ,  needed  to 
produce  scientific  advice,  expand  the  work  on 
environmental  determinants  of  infectious  diseases 
(climate  change)  and  economic  capacity  to  cover 
burden  of  diseases,  all  key  areas  of  the  work 
programme  

Target 4 (Preparedness and response)  

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

57% (d) 

Threats monitored 

168 

300 

350 

400 

News items update recorded 

1,360 

2,400 

2,800 

3,200 

Threats assessed 

142 

250 

300 

330 

33% 

33% 

32% 

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Threats requiring specific response 

Threat assessment circulated to EWRS/web site 

66 

9 

110 

130 

150 

16 

18 

20 

36% 

25% 

(d)  8  additional  staff  to  reach  22,  notably  to 
complete  the  preparedness  and  response  capacity; 
develop  expertise  in  bioterrorism,  expand  the  threat 
detection  capacity  and  ensure  comprehensive 
coverage in all MS  

Target 5 (Training) 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

33% (e) 

No  of  EPIET  (European  Programme  for  Intervention 
Epidemiology Training ) fellows trained 

Participants from Member States  

No of training weeks 

(e)  2  additional  staff 
development of training capacity 

to  reach  8-for 

further 

18 

185 

15 

19 

22 

27 

280 

320 

400 

20 

23 

26 

42% 

43% 

30% 

Target 6 (Health Communication) 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

67% (f) 

No of international meetings 

4 

6 

7 

No of Eurosurveillance subscribers 

10,256 

14,300 

16,000 

17,500 

No of articles published in Eurosurveillance 

254 

310 

335 

360 

75% 

22% 

16% 

No of web items 

2,484 

3,500 

10,000 

15,000 

329% 

No of multilingual web items 

No of public health campain toolkits 

No of info stants is scientific meetings 

No of press releases/statements 

No of multimedia news/ webcasts 

0 

1 

9 

40 

7 

400 

2.000 

3.000 

650% 

2 

18 

45 

5 

3 

25 

50 

8 

3 

30 

60 

12 

50% 

67% 

33% 

140% 

(f) 10 additional staff to reach 25, to reinforce health 
external 
communication, 
efficient 
evaluators, 
in 
communication, 
the  MS, 
increased  uptake 
information to media and the general public; experts 
in scientific communication, web services, editors 

by 
ensure 
in 

identified 
to 

also 
order 

Target 7 (Partnerships) 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

50% (g) 

No. of relations with competent bodies 

Meetings/videoconferences  with  Commission/EP/ 
EU bodies 

Meetings/videoconferences with WHO 

75 

52 

18 

85 

90 

95 

12% 

65 

24 

77 

30 

82 

30 

26% 

25% 

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Meetings/videoconferences 
Countries 

with 

Candidate 

(g)  2  additional  staff  to  reach  6,  needed  to  meet 
increased workload resulting from the establishment 
of  Competent  bodies  and  necessity  to  reinforce 
relations  with  EU  institutions  including  in  the  field 
of neighboring policy  

0 

10 

18 

24 

140% 

Target 8 (Internal)  

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

35% (h) 

The indicators in target 8 are rather quantitative than 
qualitative and have to do with adequate (in terms of 
time and quality) level of response to the operational 
requirements. 

However  some  indicators  that  can  be  used  and  are 
depended on budget and staffing increases are below: 

No of commitments 

No of payments 

No of Missions booked 

Daily No of ICT helpdesk requests 

359 

450 

500 

550 

3,885 

5,000 

6,500 

7,000 

660 

15 

810 

950 

1.050 

35 

50 

55 

No of participants in meetings/seminars etc 

1,571 

1,704 

1,800 

1,950 

22% 

40% 

30% 

57% 

14% 

No of interviews for recruitments 

470 

390 

390 

290 

-26%* 

*less recruitments when staff in place, however shift 
foreseen 
and 
towards 
development needs 

increased 

learning 

(h)  12  additional  posts  including  expert  in  strategic 
management, chief scientist, building manager, ICT-, 
security-business continuity specialists- necessary to 
meet  the  requirements  brought  by  the  growth  in  the 
organization and its specific field of activity 

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Resource development  

Target 

Organization 

TA* staff – 
establishment 
table 2007 - 
approved 

TA* staff – 
establishment 
table 2008 - 
approved 

Proposed TA* 
staff additional 

Total TA* staff 
envisaged 

By 2010 

2010 

N° 1 

N° 2 

N° 3 

N° 4 

N° 5 

N° 6 

Disease programmes  

Surveillance  

Scientific advise  

Preparedness and response  

Training  

Health communication 

N° 7  

Partnerships  

N°8  
(internal)  

Governance,  management, 
Administrative services  

Total 

* Temporary agents 

12 

13 

12 

11 

5 

7 

2 

8 

20 

90 

18 

22 

17 

14 

6 

15 

4 

8 

26 

130 

16 

10 

10 

8 

2 

10 

2 

2 

10 

70 

34 

32 

27 

22 

8 

25 

6 

10 

36 

200 

The financial impact of staff increase is already incorporated in the budgetary projections of 
the Centre. The level of the subsidy expected to be received by the Community budget is fully 
consistent with the existing financial programming of the Commission, along the lines of the 
Multi-annual Financial Framework 2007-2013".  

Amounts in millions of euros 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

26.5  

39.1  

49.7  

56.4  

57.5  

58.7 

59.8  

ECDC core budget (current prices) under the financial framework 2007-2013 

The table below shows the evolution of budget allocation over the period 2007-2013.  

Amounts in thousands of euros 

Budget Line Position 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

Total Title 1 Staff 

9,528 

16,737 

22,750 

27,530 

28,615 

29,440 

30,190 

Total Title 2 
Administration 

5,915 

6,060 

6,700 

7,235 

6,700 

6,800 

6,900 

% total budget 

55% 

57% 

58% 

60% 

60% 

60% 

60% 

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Total Title 3 
Operations 

12,866 

17,438 

21,250 

23,135 

23,685 

23,760 

24.260 

% total budget  

45% 

43% 

42% 

40% 

40% 

40% 

40% 

Total Budget 

28,309 

40,234 

50,700 

57,900 

59,000 

60,000 

61.350 

Total % 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

Required Community 
Contribution 

EEA/EFTA 
Contributions 

27,704 

39,100 

48,100 

56,450 

57,500 

58,700 

59.800 

604 

935 

1.000 

1.450 

1.500 

1.530 

1.550 

Assigned Revenues 

0 

200 

1,600.000 

not 
known 

not 
known 

not 
known 

not 
known 

5. CONCLUSION 

The present communication aims at updating the initial statement adopted in 2003 taking into 
account the achievements of the Centre over its first three years of operation and the results of 
the external evaluation.  

In  line  with  the  Centre’s  mandate,  the  basic  organizational  structures  and  capacities  are 
currently  in  place  in  defined  functional  areas;  with  an  epidemiological  surveillance  system 
that  is  established,  with  capacities  set  up  for  preparedness  and  response,  with  the  ability  to 
respond  to  requests  for  scientific  advise  and  risk  assessments,  with  the  capacity  to  provide 
epidemiological training and to conduct proper health communication.  

Nevertheless, ECDC  is still  building up  capacity in the different fields of its mission which 
implies having the necessary resources to do so. Further investment is needed if ECDC is to 
fully  discharge  its  current  mandate  of  strengthening  Europe’s  defences  against  infectious 
diseases. 

The Centre needs to complete its technical knowledge base with disease specific expertise in 
fields  identified  as  priorities  (such  as  antimicrobial  resistance,  food  and  waterborne, 
influenza…),  experts  in  data  management  and  surveillance  (to  integrate  the  coordination  of 
the  remaining  networks),  in  quality  assurance  and  testing  (to  improve  quality  and 
comparability  of  data).  It  needs  staff  to  provide  the  full  services  needed  by  its  stakeholders 
(including producing scientific advice and supporting reinforcement of capacities in MS). It 
needs  staff  to  strengthen  its  health  communication  to  the  different  audiences  (health  policy 
makers,  media,  general  public,  etc…).  And  it  needs  staff  to  strengthen  its  management  and 
administrative  support  structure  (management 
information  system,  building/premises 
management, security and business continuity).  

Indeed  the  main  asset  of  the  ECDC  is  the  technical  expertise  of  its  staff,  who  are  medical 
doctors, scientists and experts in communicable diseases. ECDC finds itself in a competitive 
market at a European and global level to attract and retain highly qualified, and highly mobile, 
staff.  

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The report of the external evaluation confirms that ECDC succeeded in establishing itself as a 
centre of scientific excellence and that it brings added value in the prevention and control of 
communicable  diseases.  It  recommends  a  consolidation  and  deepening  of  activities  on 
communicable diseases.The staff and financial resources as foreseen in the framework 2007-
2013 are a sufficient but necessary basis for ECDC to implements it current mandate. 

Taking into account these considerations, the approach set out in the present communication 
will  help  protect  the  health  of  the  citizens  of  Europe  and  will  ensure  coherency  between 
resources and the expectations under the Centre’s current mandate as set out in Multi-annual 
Work Programme 2007-2013. 

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LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

1. 

NAME OF THE PROPOSAL: 

The ECDC activities on communicable diseases: the positive outcomes since the Centre's 
establishment, and the planned activities and resource needs. 

2. 

ABM / ABB FRAMEWORK 

Policy areas concerned: 

Health & Consumer Protection – Title 17 

Associated activity: 

Public Health – Chapter 17.03 

3. 

BUDGET LINES 

3.1. 

Budget  lines  (operational  lines  and  related  technical  and  administrative 
assistance lines (ex- B.A lines)) including headings: 

Existing  operational  Budget  Lines  dedicated  to  cover  both  administrative  and  operational 
expenditure of the ECDC as follows: 

17 03 03 01 (ECDC – Subsidy for Administrative Expenditure – Titles I & II) 

17 03 03 02 (ECDC – Subsidy for Operational Expenditure – Title III) 

3.2. 

Duration of the action and of the financial impact: 

The duration of the Action is indefinite. 

The present financial statement provides detailed information for the period 2007 – 2013. The 
year 2007 is mentioned for comparison matters only. 

3.3. 

Budgetary characteristics  

Budget line 

Type of 
expenditure 

New 

EFTA 
contribution 

Contributions 
from applicant 
countries 

Heading in 
financial 
perspective 

17 03 03 01 

Non-
comp 

Differen
tiated 

NO 

YES 

17 03 03 02 

Non-
comp 

Differen
tiated 

NO 

YES 

NO 

NO 

No 3b 

No 3b 

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4. 

SUMMARY OF RESOURCES 

4.1. 

Financial Resources 

4.1.1. 

Summary of commitment appropriations (CA) and payment appropriations (PA) 

EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

Expenditure type 

Section 
no. 

2007  

2008  

2009  

2010 

2011

2012 

2013 

Total 

Execu
-tion 

Bud-
get 

8,2 M 
in 
reserve 

Estimations as at financial perspectives 
2007-2013 

Operational expenditure4 

Commitment Appropriations 
(CA) 

Payment 
(PA) 

Appropriations 

Technical  &  administrative 
assistance (NDA) 

8.1. 

a  27,705  39,300 

49,700 

56,400 

57,500  58,700  59,800 

347,150 

b  27,705  39,300 

52,300 

56,400 

57,500  58,700  59,800 

347,150 

27,705  39,300 

49,700 

56,400 

57,500  58,700  59,800 

347,150 

27,705  39,300 

52,300 

56,400 

57,500  58,700  59,800 

347,150 

TOTAL REFERENCE AMOUNT 

Commitment 
Appropriations 

Payment Appropriations 

a
+
c 

b
+
c 

Human 
associated 
(NDA) 

resources 

and 
expenditure 

Administrative  costs,  other 
than  human  resources  and 
not 
associated 
included 
reference 
in 
amount (NDA) 

costs, 

Total indicative financial cost of intervention 

TOTAL CA including cost 
of Human Resources 

a
+
c
+
d
+
e 

27,705  39,300 

49,700 

56,400 

57,500  58,700  59,800 

347,150 

4 

Expenditure that does not fall under Chapter xx 01 of the Title xx concerned. 

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TOTAL  PA  including  cost 
of Human Resources 

b
+
c
+
d
+
e 

27,705  39,300 

52,300 

56,400 

57,500  58,700  59,800 

347,150 

Co-financing details 

If  the  proposal  involves  co-financing  by  Member  States,  or  other  bodies  (please  specify 
which),  an  estimate  of  the  level  of  this  co-financing  should  be  indicated  in  the  table  below 
(additional  lines  may  be  added  if  different  bodies  are  foreseen  for  the  provision  of  the  co-
financing): 

EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

Co-financing body 

EEA/EFTA 
States 

Member 

TOTAL  CA 
co-financing 

including 

f 

a+c+
d+e+
f 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010

2011

2012 

2013 

Total 

0,604 

0,935 

1,000 

1,450 

1,500 

1,530 

1,550 

8,569 

28,309 

40,235 

50,700 

57,850  59,000  60,230  61,350  355,719

4.1.2.  Compatibility with Financial Programming 

(cid:59) 

(cid:133) 

(cid:133) 

Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming. 

Proposal  will  entail  reprogramming  of  the  relevant  heading  in  the  financial 
perspective. 

Proposal  may  require  application  of  the  provisions  of  the  Inter-institutional 
Agreement5 (i.e. flexibility instrument or revision of the financial perspective). 

4.1.3.  Financial impact on Revenue  

(cid:59) 

(cid:133) 

Proposal has no financial implications on revenue 

Proposal has financial impact – the effect on revenue is as follows: 

4.2. 

Human Resources FTE (including officials, temporary and external staff) – see 
detail under point 8.2.1. 

Not applicable  

5 

See points 19 and 24 of the Interinstitutional agreement. 

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5. 

CHARACTERISTICS AND OBJECTIVES 

5.1. 

Needs to be met in the short or long term 

The EU is exposed to a range of infectious diseases – diseases which will continue to pose a 
threat  to  human  health  in  the  foreseeable  future.  Since  people,  animals  and  goods  can  now 
move almost freely within the Union, the need for a common approach to prevent the spread 
of  diseases  is  becoming  more  and  more  necessary  /  obvious.  Whilst  prevention  and  health 
care  are  still  very  much  governed  by  subsidiarity,  there  is  a  clear  need  for  a  centre  like  the 
ECDC to assist a coordinated approach. 

In addition to the suffering inflicted to the populations, infectious diseases exact an important 
economic  toll  on  national  budgets:  bacteria  resistant  to  antibiotics  cause  infections  that 
prolong hospital stays and require special medical procedures; a new pandemic influenza has 
been estimated to  inflict an economic loss on  countries corresponding to several percentage 
units of their GDP; treatment of HIV infection represents a substantial cost in several Member 
States. Even prevention of infectious diseases carries a price: half a dozen different vaccines 
are given to almost all children across the Union at a non-negligible cost. 

It is a challenge for the ECDC to help develop the best and most cost-effective methods for 
prevention, and to assist Member States in implementing  them.  The ultimate goal being the 
eradication of a disease, which – as was shown by the eradication of smallpox 30 years ago –, 
would  bring  major  economic  gains.  Whilst  this  may  not  be  possible  for  many  diseases, 
eradication of measles in the EU, for example, is a clearly reachable goal. 

5.2. 

Value-added  of  Community  involvement  and  coherence  of  the  proposal  with 
other financial instruments and possible synergy 

The added value of Community involvement and the need for enhanced cooperation of 
the  Member  States  were  motivated  in  a  2003  proposal  that  resulted  in  the  creation  of  the 
Agency.  Since  then  the  ECDC  confirmed  those  expectations  in  all  the  areas  covered  by  its 
mandate. 

The  added  value  of  ECDC  contribution  at  EU  level  consists  in  providing  a 
consolidated  analysis  and  overview  of  the  evidence  supporting  prevention  and  control  of 
communicable diseases.  Together  with its Competent Bodies, it identifies gaps and helps in 
defining  and  strengthening  the  public  health  research  agenda.  Through  a  coordinated 
approach to surveillance at the European level, the collection of data can be standardised and 
the  cost-efficiency  be  improved,  providing  comparable  data  to  inform  policy  makers  on 
effective prevention and control measures. 

The  Centre  also  provides  a  platform  for  interaction  between  Member  States  for  the 
exchange  of  good  practice,  building  on  evidence-based  interventions.  ECDC  is  developing 
assessments and guidance centrally for the Union – something especially asked for by small 
countries or countries with limited capacity in this field.  

In its work on preparedness the Centre provides Member States with regular updates 
on the international epidemiological situation, an activity which may in time replace the need 
for  each  country  to  invest  in  resource-consuming  epidemic  intelligence.  Through  rapid 
assessments of public health events ECDC can also facilitate a coordinated response to threats 
affecting several Member States. 

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Both  the  surveillance  and  the  response  functions  benefit  from  common  EU-wide  methods 
taught in the various courses organised by the Centre to Member States governmental experts 
in the field. 

is  supporting 

the  Commission 

in  developing  an  active  network  for  risk 
ECDC 
communication, since by having strong communication networks established in "quiet times", 
the  European  and  national  level  communications  in  responses  to  major  health  crises  in  the 
future can be perceived as timely, reliable, consistent and authoritative. 

5.3. 

Objectives, expected results and related indicators of the proposal in the context 
of the ABM framework 

The Centre contributes to the  objectives of the Public Health programme (Chapter 17 03 of 
the Community Budget) 

The short and mid term objectives of the Centre are presented in the context of its Strategic 
Multi-annual Programme 2007-2013 as highlighted in the Communication  

5.4.  Method of Implementation (indicative) 

(cid:59)  Centralised Management 

(cid:133) 

(cid:59) 

directly by the Commission 

indirectly by delegation to: 

(cid:133) 

executive Agencies 

(cid:59) 

bodies set up by the Communities as referred to in art. 185 of the 
Financial Regulation 

(cid:133) 

national public-sector bodies/bodies with public-service mission 

(cid:133) 

Shared or decentralised management 

(cid:133)  with Member states 

(cid:133)  with Third countries 

(cid:133) 

Joint management with international organisations (please specify) 

6. 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

6.1.  Monitoring system 

The  high  quality  specialised  services  ECDC  is  expected  to  provide  (through 
transparent procedures) require a careful monitoring based on short term outcome indicators.  

This  system  is  designed  to  give  prime  consideration  to  the  question  of  whether 
ECDC’s work has achieved the positive changes that its Founding Regulation and the 2007 – 
2013 Strategic Multi-annual Programme aimed for. Specific indicators were submitted to the 
Management  Board  at  the  start  of  the  Strategic  Multi-annual  Programme  and  approved  (in 

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March  2008).  They  will  be  used  throughout  the  period  to  monitor  progress  towards  the 
Targets, and they will provide key information for the final evaluation of the degree of Target 
achievements  in  2013.  The  following  principles  have  been  used  in  developing  these 
indicators: 

Each  Target  has  one  set  of  indicators,  selected  in  such  a  way  that  their  information  clearly 
makes it possible to assess whether/to which degree the Target outcome has been achieved. 
The phrasing of each criteria had to be clear, and as brief as possible 
An effort was made to minimise the number of criteria, but at the same to be able to assess the 
achievements in each area 
The criteria are measurable, in a realistic way, and with a reasonable work effort  

For  each  indicator  an  analysis  of  the  proposed  data  source,  its  availability  and 
reliability  has  been  undertaken,  and  a  dedicated  information  system  for  the  systematic 
collection and analysis of the data has been instituted at ECDC.  

At mid-term of the programme period 2007-2013 (i.e. 2010) the Management Board 
will  make  an  assessment  of  progress.  As  regards  the  final  evaluation  of  the  Multi-annual 
Programme’s achievements by the year 2013, this will be so timed that the MB has the results 
in hand when deciding on the next Strategic Multi-annual Programme, i.e. the one for 2014-
2020.  

Finally,  ECDC  staff  will  at  the  end  of  each  year  systematically  evaluate  the 
implementation of that annual work plan, jointly assessing the quality of its products and the 
efficiency  of  the  implementation  process.  Highlights  of  this  evaluation  will  be  part  of  the 
Director’s annual report to the MB.  

6.2. 

Evaluation 

6.2.1.  Ex-ante evaluation 

Not applicable 

6.2.2.  Measures  taken  following  an  intermediate/ex-post  evaluation  (lessons  learned  from 

similar experiences in the past) 

The External Evaluation of the Centre was commissioned in 20 May 2007 as foreseen 
Regulation  (EC)  No  851/2004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  21  April 
2004.  

‘Art 31: By 20 May 2007, the Centre shall commission an independent external evaluation of 
its  achievements  on  the  basis  of  terms  of  reference  issued  by  the  Management  Board  in 
agreement with the Commission. The evaluation shall assess: 

(a)  the  possible  need  to  extend  the  scope  of  the  Centre’s  mission  to  other  relevant 
Community-level activities in the field of public health, in particular to health monitoring; 

and 

(b) the timing of further such reviews. 

The Centre launched an open call for tender. The terms of references were concluded 
by  the  working  group  of  the  MB  with  the  agreement  of  the  Commission.  The  contractor 
conducted more than 80 interviews with key stakeholders in the past months (EU institutions 

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and  agencies,  international  organizations,  EU  surveillance  networks,  national  surveillance 
institutes, national health ministries and ECDC staff).  

The 

conclusions 

of 

this 

first 

external 

evaluation 

are 

presented 

at 

http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/About_us/Key_documents/  

6.2.3.  Terms and frequency of future evaluation 

Independent external evaluations of the Centre will be commissioned every 5 years. 

7. 

ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES  

In  order  to  combat  fraud,  corruption  and  other  unlawful  activities,  the  provisions  of 
Regulation (EC) No 1037/1999 apply without restrictions to this Agency. 

The Agency is part to the Inter-institutional Agreement of May 25, 1999 concerning internal 
investigations by OLAF. 

The decisions concerning funding and the implementing agreements and instruments resulting 
from  them  explicitly  stipulate  that  the  Court  of  Auditors  and  OLAF  may  carry  out,  if 
necessary,  on-the-spot  checks  of  the  recipients  of  the  Agency's  funding  and  the  agents 
responsible for allocating it 

8. 

DETAILS OF RESOURCES 

8.1. 

Objectives of the proposal in terms of their financial cost 

See under point 4 of the Communication a table describing the ECDC targets for the period 
2007-2013. The overview of the expected outcomes by target is given separately in the Staff 
Working Paper in which the further development of the Centre for the programmatic period 
2009-2013 is presented in detail.  

8.2. 

Administrative Expenditure 

The  Action  does  not  have  an  impact  on  the  Administrative  Expenditure  of  the  Community 
budget and no human resources are directly allocated to it by the Commission. 

The administrative costs of the agency including staffing costs are funded by the Operational 
Budget line 17 03 03 01. 

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