Eurocommissaris Byrne opent nieuw agentschap voor epidemieën in Stockholm (en)

maandag 27 september 2004

Europe strengthens its defences against disease: David Byrne in Stockholm to start up new agency

Senior health officials and politicians from around Europe, North America and Asia are in Stockholm today to attend a start up event for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This new EU agency will network Europe's health knowledge so as to enable: better preparation for, and response to, future epidemics; more effective continent wide disease surveillance; better cooperation between Europe and its international partners. David Byrne, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection and Morgan Johansson, Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs hold a press conference on Monday at 14h30 in the Rosenbad building in Stockholm (office of the Swedish Prime Minister). The official Start up Event will take place in the same venue at 15h00 and will be open to the media. Full details are given below. The Start up Event takes place ahead of the inaugural meeting of the Centre's Management Board, which will be held in Stockholm on Tuesday 28 September. The Management Board is expected to appoint its President and start work on building up the new agency. The Management Board is made up of representatives nominated by the EU Member States, the European Parliament and the European Commission. A list of its members is given as an annex to this Memo.

Commissioner Byrne said, "Outbreaks like SARS in 2003 and bird flu this year have been a wake-up call. Infectious diseases can pose a deadly threat and they do not respect national borders. This new EU agency will enable Europe to be better prepared for whatever new epidemics the 21st century has in store. It also has a crucial role to play in helping us contain the alarming resurgence of HIV-AIDS we are beginning to see in Europe and enabling us to better understand a whole range of lethal diseases. "

Preparations under way for new EU agency

Enabling legislation to create the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control was passed by the European Parliament and Council in spring this year (see: IP/04/190). This legislation fixed Stockholm as its seat, in line with the decision of the December 2003 European Council that the Centre be based in Sweden.

The inaugural meeting of the Centre's Management Board is expected to take some initial decisions on how the new agency will be administered, such as the rules of procedure for its Management Board, and elect its President and a Deputy. The Management Board will discuss the Centre's work programme for 2005 and hear a report from the Commission on progress in recruiting a Director for the Centre.

The post of Director was advertised in the EU's Official Journal and in the press in August and early September. Thirty five applications were received, with candidates coming from a wide range of EU countries.

The European Commission will assess the applications and draw up a shortlist of candidates for presentation to a future meeting of the Management Board. The Management Board will then appoint one of these candidates as the Centre's Director.

The aim is to have a Director in place and to start recruiting other staff early next year so that the Centre can become operational in May 2005. It will be up to the Director, in close cooperation with the Swedish government and the Centre's Management Board, to find office accommodation in Stockholm for the new agency. The Centre has a budget of € 4.8 million for 2005, so its initial staff will be quite small. The Centre's budget is expected to rise to about € 29 million by 2007.

Programme of events open to the media on 27 September

14:30 Press conference, Rosenbad building, Conference Centre,

Short statements followed by an opportunity to ask questions to:

  • Morgan Johansson, Swedish Minister for Public Health and Social Services
  • David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection

15.00 Official Start up Event, Rosenbad building, Conference Centre

Keynote speeches by:

  • Morgan Johansson, Swedish Minister for Public Health and Social Services.
  • David Byrne, Commissioner for Health
  • Prof R. Norrby Director General, The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI)

Statements by:

  • Mrs Carolyn Bennett, Minister of State for Health, Canada
  • Dr Marc Danzon, Regional Director, WHO European Office
  • Mr Ed Thompson, M.D., M.P.H, Chief of Public Health Practice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Dr P Y Leung, Controller, Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  • Ms Toril Roscher Nielson, Director General, Ministry of Health Norway
  • Mr Thomas Lönngren, Executive Director, European Medicines Agency
  • Mr Mats Hellström, Governor, Stockholm county

16:45 Introduction to the Centre's Management Board

Mr. Fernand Sauer, Director of Public Health, in the European Commission presents the members of the Centre's Management Board.

17.30 Close of event

Further information available from:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_overview/strategy/ecdc/ecdc_en.htm

Annex

MEMBERS OF THE CENTRE'S MANAGEMENT BOARD

Members nominated by the EU Member States

  • Austria: Prof Dr,Manfred P.Dierich, Vorstand,Institutes für Hygiene und Sozialmedezin
  • Belgium: Mr Daniel Reynders, SPF Santé publique, Sécurité de la Chaîne Alimentaire
  • Cyprus: Dr Chrystalla Hatzianastasiou,Chief Medical Officer, Medical and Public Health Services, Ministry of Health
  • Czech Republic: Prof Dr. Roman Prymula, Rektor, Purkeyne Military Medical Academy
  • Denmark: Mr Jens Kristian Gotrik, Director General, Chief Medical Officer, National Board of Health
  • Estonia: Dr Tiiu Aro, Director General, Health Protection Inspectorate
  • Finland: Mr,Tapani,Melkas,Director,Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
  • France: Mr Gilles,Brucker, Directeur Général, Instiut de Veille Sanitaire
  • Germany: Prof Dr Stefan Winter, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Soziale Sicherung Leiter der Abteilung "Prävention, Krankheitsbekämpfung, Biomedezin"
  • Greece: Mr Sotirios Karazas, Director, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity's Office, Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity
  • Hungary: Dr Jakab Ferencné, Deputy State Director
  • Ireland: Dr Eibhlin Connolly, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Children
  • Italy: Dr Donato Greco, Direttore Generale Prevenzione Sanitaria, Ministero della Salute
  • Latvia: Mr Jurijs Perevoscikovs, Head ,Division of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, State Agency "Public Health Agency"
  • Lithuania: Dr Vyatautas Bakasenas, Lietuvos vyriausiasis epidemiologas, Valstybines visuomenes sveikatos prieziuros tarybos prie, Sveikatos apsaugos ministerijos direktorius
  • Luxembourg: Dr Pierrette Huberty-Krau, Medecin-Inspecteur, chef de division, Direction de la Santé, Division de l'Inspection Sanitaire
  • Malta: Dr,Andrew,Amato Gauci, Direttur, Kura Primarja
  • Netherlands: Dr,M.J.W. (Marc),Sprenger,Director-General,National Institute for Health and Environment
  • Poland: Dr Krystof Pajaczek, Director General, Chief Sanitary Inspectorate
  • Portugal: Dr.Francisco Henrique de Moura Georges, Chefe de Serviçio de Saude, Publica e Subdirector Geral da Saude,DG Health
  • Slovakia: Mrs Eva Maderova, Head of Epidemiology Section, Public Health Institution of the Slovak Republic
  • Slovenia: Ms Mojca Gruntar Cinc MD, Head of Prevention and Development of Public Health, Ministry of Health
  • Spain: Ms Carmen Amela Heras, Jefe de Area de Epidemologia M° Sanidad y Consumo
  • Sweden: Mrs Iréne Nilsson Carlsson, Director, Socialdepartementet
  • United Kingdom: Mr Gerard Hetherington, Head of Health Protection, Department of Health

Members nominated by the Commission and the European Parliament

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