Health Emergency preparedness and Response Authority
NAT-VII/023
Health Emergency preparedness and Response Authority
This opinion aims to:
draw attention to the current limitations in field of EU action in public health and examine the possibility of enhancing the EU role in health preparedness and response
highlight the unsufficient involvement of local and regional authorities in health resilience under the current proposal
argue that the democratic oversight is necessary
propose a better alignment betwee the HERA nad the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC)
advocate for a "health vulnerability scoreboard" and for a new legislation, modelled on the European Chips Act, to ensure that the EU is less dependent of foreign suppliers when it comes to active ingredients, pharmaceutical products and medical equipment
draw attention to the current limitations in field of EU action in public health and examine the possibility of enhancing the EU role in health preparedness and response
highlight the unsufficient involvement of local and regional authorities in health resilience under the current proposal
argue that the democratic oversight is necessary
propose a better alignment betwee the HERA nad the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC)
advocate for a "health vulnerability scoreboard" and for a new legislation, modelled on the European Chips Act, to ensure that the EU is less dependent of foreign suppliers when it comes to active ingredients, pharmaceutical products and medical equipment
Members of the European Parliament adopted the two legislative proposals of the first EU health package in a plenary vote on Tuesday 4 October: on ECDC mandate and on serious cross-border health threats.
The latter is set to provide the EU with a legal framework for preparing for such health threats and to establish a European early warning system for health threats and shortages of medicines.
In line with the CoR requests, the Parliament finds it "*crucial that those (prevention, preparedness and response) Union and national plans be prepared with particular attention paid to cross-border regions in order to enhance their health cooperation. Where appropriate, regional authorities should be able to participate in the drawing up of such national plans"
The recently published report on vulnerabilities of the global supply chains of medicines confirms the CoR observation that " public authorities do not have access to sufficient data to determine vulnerabilities" and that "more information on supply chains and the industrial aspects of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the EU and in non-EU countries is also needed". These points support the CoR call for a "vulnerability scoreboard": a cross-sectoral analysis of the state of preparedness and resilience of EU regions.
The latter is set to provide the EU with a legal framework for preparing for such health threats and to establish a European early warning system for health threats and shortages of medicines.
In line with the CoR requests, the Parliament finds it "*crucial that those (prevention, preparedness and response) Union and national plans be prepared with particular attention paid to cross-border regions in order to enhance their health cooperation. Where appropriate, regional authorities should be able to participate in the drawing up of such national plans"
The recently published report on vulnerabilities of the global supply chains of medicines confirms the CoR observation that " public authorities do not have access to sufficient data to determine vulnerabilities" and that "more information on supply chains and the industrial aspects of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the EU and in non-EU countries is also needed". These points support the CoR call for a "vulnerability scoreboard": a cross-sectoral analysis of the state of preparedness and resilience of EU regions.
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
considers that the objectives of securing EU health and protecting the population "cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, either at central level or at regional and local level," and that greater EU intervention in this area is therefore in line with the principle of subsidiarity (para 3);
is concerned about HERA's ability to succeed (7) and points out that cities and regions have to play an active role alongside the EU and Member States in developing new approaches to protecting communities. This role must be recognised at national and European level in accordance with the principle of active subsidiarity (24);
finds that drawing up HERA's multiannual strategic plan is a top priority and must also involve the European Parliament, cities and regions (14);
considers it essential for HERA to develop, in partnership with the other relevant EU bodies, a health security vulnerability scoreboard and to build, together with the Member States and regions, response programmes for the various kinds of emergencies and stress test programmes for health systems (17);
stresses the need for an industrial and innovation policy ahead of crises, and the imperative need to create a new regulatory and support framework to give the EU sovereignty in the field of health and capacity to manufacture the products of R&I industrially (32); is convinced that what is happening in the field of semiconductors should be conceivable in the field of health (35).
considers that the objectives of securing EU health and protecting the population "cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, either at central level or at regional and local level," and that greater EU intervention in this area is therefore in line with the principle of subsidiarity (para 3);
is concerned about HERA's ability to succeed (7) and points out that cities and regions have to play an active role alongside the EU and Member States in developing new approaches to protecting communities. This role must be recognised at national and European level in accordance with the principle of active subsidiarity (24);
finds that drawing up HERA's multiannual strategic plan is a top priority and must also involve the European Parliament, cities and regions (14);
considers it essential for HERA to develop, in partnership with the other relevant EU bodies, a health security vulnerability scoreboard and to build, together with the Member States and regions, response programmes for the various kinds of emergencies and stress test programmes for health systems (17);
stresses the need for an industrial and innovation policy ahead of crises, and the imperative need to create a new regulatory and support framework to give the EU sovereignty in the field of health and capacity to manufacture the products of R&I industrially (32); is convinced that what is happening in the field of semiconductors should be conceivable in the field of health (35).
