One of the main aims of the ECDC is to develop an effective integrated communicable disease surveillance system for the European Union and to become the point of reference for strengthening surveillance systems in the Member States.

It is recognized that the overall effectiveness of a European surveillance system will also depend on the quality of the national surveillance systems and the operational performance of the coordinating partners. There are various challenges to developing an integrated and strong surveillance system, such as differing organization and effectiveness of existing surveillance systems, validity and analysis of data, suitable dissemination of results and improving overall data quality and comparability, all that will need time to be resolved.

Several strategies and principles aiming at improving the integration and standardization of surveillance have been developed and approved by the Member States.