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Biological, chemical or environmental factors can trigger serious cross border health threats. Such threats can materialise as diseases that spread from person-to-person such as flu, food and water-borne diseases such as botulism, infections with E. coli. In recent years, the European Union has gone through various crises of this kind and yet there are no comprehensive measures to tackle them.
In order to mitigate the impact of these threats, the European Commission has proposed a series of measures to protect European citizens. These measures have built on the experiences gained through the H1N1 virus outbreak and would include the following:
? to extend the existing co-ordination mechanism for communicable diseases to all heath threats caused by biological, chemical or environmental causes;
? to reinforce the mandate of the Health Security Committee;
? to strengthen preparedness for crises e.g. by enabling joint purchasing of vaccines;
? to provide the means to recognise a European "health emergency situation" for the purpose of making medicines available faster;
? and to agree on European wide emergency cross border measures when a crisis results in large scale mortality and national measures fail to stop the disease from spreading.
The European Commission has developed capacities to manage health crises and has established a series of policies, mechanisms and instruments to tackle serious cross-border health threats. Tailored policies have been put in place depending on the nature of the threat, with for example: a focus on civil protection, law enforcement or support structures.
However, until now, different types of serious cross-border threats to health have not been treated in a consistent manner at EU level. Threats emerging from biological, chemical and environmental events are not addressed in the same way as those from communicable diseases. The Commission hopes these new measures once adopted by the European Parliament and EU Council, would provide a comprehensive approach towards dealing with health threats.
"In today's globalised society, people and goods move across borders and illnesses can spread around Europe ? and the globe - within hours,? the EU Health Commissioner John Dalli said. ?This is why the European Union and its Member States must be prepared to act together in a fully co-ordinated manner to stop a disease from spreading. The proposal we adopted today gives us the means and the structures to effectively protect our citizens across Europe from a wide range of health threats".
In order to mitigate the impact of these threats, the European Commission has proposed a series of measures to protect European citizens. These measures have built on the experiences gained through the H1N1 virus outbreak and would include the following:
? to extend the existing co-ordination mechanism for communicable diseases to all heath threats caused by biological, chemical or environmental causes;
? to reinforce the mandate of the Health Security Committee;
? to strengthen preparedness for crises e.g. by enabling joint purchasing of vaccines;
? to provide the means to recognise a European "health emergency situation" for the purpose of making medicines available faster;
? and to agree on European wide emergency cross border measures when a crisis results in large scale mortality and national measures fail to stop the disease from spreading.
The European Commission has developed capacities to manage health crises and has established a series of policies, mechanisms and instruments to tackle serious cross-border health threats. Tailored policies have been put in place depending on the nature of the threat, with for example: a focus on civil protection, law enforcement or support structures.
However, until now, different types of serious cross-border threats to health have not been treated in a consistent manner at EU level. Threats emerging from biological, chemical and environmental events are not addressed in the same way as those from communicable diseases. The Commission hopes these new measures once adopted by the European Parliament and EU Council, would provide a comprehensive approach towards dealing with health threats.
"In today's globalised society, people and goods move across borders and illnesses can spread around Europe ? and the globe - within hours,? the EU Health Commissioner John Dalli said. ?This is why the European Union and its Member States must be prepared to act together in a fully co-ordinated manner to stop a disease from spreading. The proposal we adopted today gives us the means and the structures to effectively protect our citizens across Europe from a wide range of health threats".
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