European Parliament delegation visit ECDC Emergency Operations CentreArchived
ECDC’s Emergency Operations Centre was built in 2007 at the request of the European Parliament, with funds voted to ECDC by Parliament specifically for that purpose. The highlight of the 1-2 September visit to ECDC by members of Parliament’s health committee was therefore a visit to the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).
After a short tour of the facilities, the delegation participated in the daily threat monitoring meeting in the EOC. At this meeting ECDC’s experts review official alerts, media reports and other such “signals” relating to disease outbreaks worldwide that could be of importance to the EU.
Jo Leinen MEP (Germany, S&D), who led the delegation and who is Chairman of Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) said “After visiting ECDC, the value of the work it does is very clear to me. ECDC’s work is important. Prevention and control of diseases is something the EU and its Member States must continue to invest in, despite the economic crisis. It would be better to build a few kilometres less of motorways than to cut the public health budget.”
The members of the delegation who visited ECDC were:
- Jo Leinen MEP (Germany, S&D), Chairman of ENVI Committee and delegation leader
- Marina Yannakoudakis MEP (UK, ECR), ECDC contact MEP on ENVI
- Pilar Ayuso MEP (Spain, EPP)
- Christopher Fjellner MEP (Sweden, EPP)
