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Health
Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control
John Bowis was
the European Parliament's Rapporteur on the European Commission's
proposal to establish a European Centre for Disease Prevention and
Control (ECDC).
Communicable diseases can pose a significant cross-border threat
to health, as shown by the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome) and by anthrax bio-terrorist alerts. The ECDC
will co-ordinate rapid responses to such major health threats.
Established in 2005 with a small
core staff, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
draws together the expertise of hundreds of scientists around Europe.
The Centre is working to improve Europe's communicable disease network
and has taken over the work on monitoring and
preparedness planning against bioterrorist attack which had been pursued
by the EU's Health Security Task Force.
On 10th February
2004, the European Parliament passed John Bowis's amendments, following
the unanimous adoption of his Report in the Environment and Public
Health Committee. Agreement on the text of the legislation between
the Parliament and the Council of Ministers means that the legislation
was passed in a single reading, so that the Centre could be up and
running in Stockholm, Sweden in 2005.
Click
here for Press Release following adoption of legislation by
the European Parliament.
Click
here for Press Release following adoption of John's Report in
Committee.
Click
here for John Bowis's speech in the European Parliament.
Click
here to see the legislative text adopted.
Click
here to read the Explanatory Statement of John Bowis's Report.
Click
here for the Commission's original proposal (pdf document).
Click
here for background information.
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