COMMISSION DECISION
of 22 December 1999
on the early warning and response system for the prevention and control of communicable diseases under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
(notified under document number C(1999) 4016)
(2000/57/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 the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community(1), and in particular Articles 1 and 7 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) According to Decision No 2119/98/EC, a network at Community level is to be set up to promote cooperation and coordination between the Member States, with the assistance of the Commission, with a view to improving the prevention and control, in the Community, of the categories of communicable diseases specified in the Annex to that Decision. That network is to be used for the epidemiological surveillance of those diseases and for the establishment of an early warning and response system;
(2) The diseases and special health issues to be covered by the early warning and response system at Community level should reflect the present needs in the Community, in particular the added value of reaction at Community level;
(3) The early warning and response system must address the issues raised by the competent public health authorities in each Member State or evidenced by data collected under Article 4 of Decision No 2119/98/EC;
(4) This Decision should facilitate the integration of the Community network set up under Decision No 2119/98/EC with other rapid alert networks set up at national or Community level for diseases and special issues to be covered by the early warning and response system. For the purpose of its implementation, the Community network should therefore operate by using in the first instance the 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 specified threats to the public transmitted by the competent public health authorities of each Member State responsible for determining measures which may be required to protect public health;
(b) exchange of information between accredited structures and authorities of the Member States relevant to public health;
(c) specific networks on diseases selected for epidemiological surveillance between accredited structures and authorities of the Member States;
(5) The development of new useful technologies should be monitored on a regular basis and taken into consideration for the importation of the EUPHIN-HSSCD as the operating system.
(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up by Article 7 of Decision No 2119/98/EC,
1. The early warning and response system of the Community network shall be reserved for those events defined in Annex I, hereinafter referred to as "events", or indications for such events which, by themselves or in association with other similar events, are or have the potential to become public health threats.
2. The structures and/or authorities of each Member State shall collect and exchange all necessary information on these events, e.g. by using the national surveillance system, the epidemiological surveillance component of the Community network or any other Community collection system.
1. The procedures for the exchange of information indicating an event are described in Annex II, Section 1 (Level 1: Information exchange).
2. The procedures to be followed when an event has the potential to become a public health threat, or when an event definitely is a public health threat, are described in Annex II, Section 2 (Level 2: Potential threat) and Section 3 (Level 3: Definite threat).
3. The procedures to be followed for information to be provided to the general public and the concerned professions are described in Annex II, Section 4.
1. Every year, the competent authorities in Member States shall submit to the Commission not later than 31 March an analytical report of the events and on the procedures applied within the early warning and response system. In addition, the competent authorities in Member States may on a timely basis report on specific events of particular significance.
2. The Commission shall, on the basis of the reports, examine in an annual report the operation of the early warning and response system and, if necessary, propose changes thereto.
This Decision shall take effect on 1 January 2000.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.