The HERA Advisory Forum is a group of experts from the Member States that assists the HERA Board. They represent technically competent bodies in the field of health security and are designated by the Member States. The Forum is chaired by a representative of the Commission appointed from DG HERA.
The mission of the HERA Advisory Forum is to:
- Provide scientific and technical advice on issues raised by the HERA Board and support implementation of HERA work plan;
- Facilitate the exchange of views between experts from technically competent bodies in the Member States;
- Pool knowledge of preparedness and response in the area of medical countermeasures (MCMs).
The Forum discusses a broad range of subjects with regard to assessing health threat priorities and identifying relevant MCMs, from ongoing preparedness initiatives by Member States to epidemiological intelligence and challenges in supply chains.
Its opinions, recommendations and reports are adopted by consensus and presented to the HERA Board.
The Forum is supported by two sub-groups, the Joint Industrial Cooperation Forum and the Civil Society Forum.
Joint Industrial Cooperation Forum
The Joint Industrial Cooperation Forum (JICF) supports collaboration with health-related industrial ecosystems in the area of preparedness and response to health crises. It brings together Member State and industry representatives and is co-chaired by both HERA and DG GROW.
The JICF’s mandate is to identify and, where possible, reduce congestions within and outside the EU, including market failures and supply chain dependencies that could limit the production capabilities of relevant medical countermeasures and their raw materials. It allows HERA to follow the state critical supply chains closely to identify weaknesses and take corrective action with the industry.
Along with the Civil Society Forum, the JICF provides the Advisory Forum with observations and opinions from a diverse range of interested parties. It also contributes to industrial matchmaking events, supporting the creation of new industrial partnerships and strengthening the overall resilience of medical supply chains.
Civil Society Forum
The Civil Society Forum (CSF) helps ensure that the HERA Advisory Forum receives regular input from and hears the views and opinions of civil society, acting as a contact point between HERA and stakeholders representing patients, consumers, and healthcare professionals.
The CSF monitors and gives its views on research, as well as on industrial and policy developments in the areas of health preparedness and response, with a focus on MCM. Along with the JICF, it provides the Advisory Forum with observations and assessments to support its work and contributes to informed decision-making.
To ensure interaction and efficiency in the CSF, and to better respond to the priorities of HERA and the wider health emergency environment, the Forum acts through specialised working groups. The themes of the working groups may change following the submission of a deliverable to the Advisory Forum and HERA Board to adjust to changing priorities.
