The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) helps strengthen and coordinate the networks of public health microbiology laboratories in EU member countries. The networks of public health microbiology laboratories in EU member countries provide integrated epidemiological and microbiological surveillance of the communicable diseases listed in Decision 2119/98/EC.
ECDC also provides, at the request of the Commission or national governments, epidemiological and laboratory support for investigations and assessment of cross-border epidemic diseases or outbreaks of illnesses of unknown origin which may spread within or to the EU. The ECDC also helps develop laboratory capacity and capabilities through training and quality-assurance schemes.
The Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) supports the coordination of the European member state network of laboratories financed by the European Health programme. The network addresses mostly highly pathogenic agents, bacteria and virus of Bio-safety Groups 3 and 4, and serious cross border health threats agents, such as HIV and zoonoses. These are also important threats to be addressed internationally and therefore, international cooperation for sharing of viral sequences for public health and research purposes is also encouraged.
The Commission also works closely with national governments to develop a system for EU reference laboratories. For example, in the area of food safety, the EU has already established the Community reference laboratories for monitoring food-borne pathogens in food and animal feed. In the area of public health, the Commission is currently supporting an initiative to review possible options for setting up such a system on the basis of existing EU legislation on communicable diseases (Decision 2119/98/EC).
Serious threats such as pandemic influenza can affect multiple countries, and action at EU-level is required in order to diagnose and detect the pathogens. In such cases, laboratories across the EU need to work together, so that risks can be assessed and health threats managed effectively.
Reference laboratories for human pathogens
Many EU countries have "national reference laboratories", specialised in specific pathogens and chosen for excellence in their specific field of activity. They provide high-quality surveillance and diagnostics of various human pathogens – infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria that cause diseases in humans.
EU role
The EU helps member states strengthen their national laboratory capacity and is examining ways to help national human-pathogen labs network better at EU level.
The Commission, the EU Network for epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases , the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) work closely with national governments to enhance Europe-wide surveillance of infectious diseases.
The EU Health Security Committee also helps improve laboratory cooperation and networking.
More information can be found in the 2011 Commission and ECDC position statement on human pathogen laboratories.
Projects
The Health Programmes 2003-08 and 2008-13 have:
- made improving citizens’ health security the highest priority.
- called for diagnostic cooperation between labs in EU member countries.
- called for support for existing laboratories that are doing work relevant to EU efforts to set up a reference lab network.
Both ECDC and Chafea contribute to strengthening European laboratory cooperation and capacity building by supporting a wide range of EU-wide projects.
Exercises
The Commission arranges exercises on specific laboratory issues to improve generic preparedness and operational capacity building.
Networking
Public health authorities have set up several laboratory cooperation networks – covering specific health fields – both at EU level and between certain member countries.
The networks make it possible to share information rapidly, as well as monitor and diagnose health threats.