Source: European Parliament
The Commission sees the negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement (PA) and the amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) as important opportunities to address gaps exposed by COVID-19.
In line with the negotiating directives (addendum to Council Decision (EU) 2022/451[1]), the Commission, negotiating on behalf of the Union, prioritises prevention, including the One Health approach.
The aim is to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) to pandemics and other public health emergencies. No PA proposal or agreed amendments to the IHR affect the Member States’ responsibilities for the definition of their health policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care as enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU[2]. Sovereignty stands as a guiding principle in the PA proposal and remains unchanged in the amended IHR.
No new specific ‘PPPR mechanism’ is foreseen under either instrument. The amended IHR created the Coordinating Financial Mechanism which will support the identification of, and access to financing. Many Commission initiatives support and contribute[3] to PPPR, including participation in the Pandemic Fund.
The Commission committed EUR 427 million to the Pandemic Fund[4], and the Fund aims at increasing health system resilience and adapting to local contexts, with a One Health approach.
The Commission has three priorities in the 2022 Global Health Strategy[5]: deliver better health and well-being; strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage; and prevent and combat health threats, including pandemics, applying a One Health approach.
- [1] Council Decision (EU) 2022/451 of 3 March 2022 authorising the opening of negotiations on behalf of the European Union for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, as well as complementary amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005).), OJ L 92, 21.3.2022, p. 1.
- [2] Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
- [3] Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, GPEI-Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, programmes for health with partner countries and regions.
- [4] This represents 7.9% of EU commitments to global health development assistance (2021-2027).
- [5] https://health.ec.europa.eu/internationalcooperation/global-health_en