EU Council Conclusions - Avian and Pandemic Influenza

Council conclusions on avian and pandemic influenza, Extraordinary EXTERNAL RELATIONS Council meeting, Luxembourg

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1. On the basis of briefings from the Commission and the Presidency, the Council had a discussion of avian and pandemic influenza. It welcomed these updates upon the EU's current state of preparedness to deal with the virus.

2. The Council recognised that avian and pandemic influenza are global threats and called for an international coordinated response. The Commission informed the Council of recent events and action taken regarding avian influenza. The Council welcomed the Commission's immediate response following the confirmation of the H5N1 virus in Turkey and Romania. The Council commended the two countries for the rapid measures taken in order to control and prevent the spreading of the virus and highly appreciated their cooperation with the EU, particularly with the Commission, as well as with the Member States.

3. The Council further recognised that this problem must be addressed simultaneously within the EU and at source. The Council welcomed the preparation of medium and long term responses, together with the immediate measures of preparedness required by the pandemic threat. In this respect, the Council recognised the efforts made by the WHO, OIE, FAO, the World Bank and the Commission in mobilising affected countries and countries at risk in preparation for the UN meeting in Geneva on 7-9 November.

4. The Council welcomed the establishment earlier in October of a Presidency Group, to provide a forum for improved co-ordination and the sharing of information at a strategic level between those EU-level mechanisms handling different strands of both pandemic and avian influenza issues in the EU as well as at their source.

5. The Council noted that the full effectiveness of national measures drawing together the veterinary and human health aspects of the dossier, and taken in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO, the FAO, and the OIE, would be enhanced by effective EU coordination. Accordingly, the Council also welcomed the ongoing co-ordination measures being taken at expert level in the Commission and the Council, including the regular meetings of Chief Veterinary and Chief Medical Officers, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, and the meeting held by heads of consular crisis units together with Health experts on 29 September 2005. The Council noted the intention of the Presidency Group to prepare for the Geneva meeting, and encouraged the coordination between the Commission and the Member States on helping to control the problem at its source.

6. It noted that the Council, in other formations, would be considering this issue, in its various aspects, including with respect to modalities for further assistance to the concerned countries, on a number of occasions during the current Presidency. In particular, the animal health aspects would be considered at the October, November, and December sessions of the Council (Agriculture), and at the regular meetings of EU Chief Veterinary Officers. The Council noted that the Informal meeting of EU Health Ministers on 20-21 October would include a session on preparedness for a human influenza pandemic and would consider further action, as would the Council on 9 December (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs).

7. The Council noted that work was continuing on the Commission's proposal for an updated directive on the prevention, control and eradication of avian influenza. It confirmed its intention to complete this work, as a matter of priority, in time for the Council (Agriculture) in December 2005.

8. The Council agreed that all the measures referred to above should be gathered together in comprehensive Action Plan. Such an Action Plan would help the Council (GAERC) keep the situation under close review and return to it if the situation so requires.

See also:
EU Action on avian influenza

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