SAN 96AGRILEG 59RELEX 410DEVGEN 131PROCIV 64VETER 9COCON 14USA 29AMLAT 46OUTCOME OF PROCEEDINGSfrom :General Secretariat of the Councilto:DelegationsSubject:EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL POLICY,HEALTH AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON 30 APRIL 2009INFLUENZA A/H1N1 INFECTION-Exchange of views- Adoption of Council Conclusions

The Council conclusions annexed hereto were adopted at the Extraordinary meeting ofEmployment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 30 April 2009.

With regard to the international outbreak of human cases of influenza A/H1N1 infection, thegrowing international concern and on the basis of updated information provided by the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO), Member States, the Commission, the European Centre for DiseasePrevention and Control (ECDC) and the Health Security Committee (HSC), the Council of theEuropean Union takes note of the evolving epidemiological situation, welcomes the effectiveEuropean Union (EU) and international response to the threat of a possible but still uncertainpandemic outbreak and calls for continued co-operation at the EU and international level. In thiscontext, the EU and its Member States should continue to act in a strong and decisive manner toface this threat.

RECOGNISES that human outbreaks like the one caused by the influenza virus A/H1N1 are apotential global threat, in particular because of increasingly frequent international travel in aglobalised world;

RECALLS that the EU has prepared for health emergencies adopting and implementingpreparedness and response plans since 2005 and recalls the Council Conclusions of16 December 2008

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which called upon strengthening the coordination and cooperation in thefield of health security, in particular as regards public health emergencies of internationalconcern within the EU;

WELCOMES the rapid action taken by the Member States in the framework of the WHO'sInternational Health Regulations (IHR) and through coordination within the HSC, the EarlyWarning and Response System for Communicable Diseases and the Committee of theNetwork for the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases inaccordance with Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of24 September 1998 setting up a network for epidemiological surveillance and control ofcommunicable diseases in the Community

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in order to protect our citizens;

RECOGNISES that effectiveness of national measures will be further enhanced by ongoingco-ordination measures being taken by the Commission and the Member States with theassistance of the ECDC, in cooperation with the WHO;

RECOGNISES that preparation for and response to health risks in the EU is a Member Statecompetence and that measures can be supported and enhanced by further cooperation andsharing of information through the WHO and existing EU structures. It alsoACKNOWLEDGES the importance of taking into account the intersectoral dimension;

WELCOMES the work already underway in the WHO, the ECDC and the HSC, in particular,on the guidelines on a common case definition, on a common case management and oninformation to travellers and WELCOMES the ECDC work on technical guidance regardingthe prophylaxis and treatment of infected persons and their contacts as well as on theprotection of involved health professionals taking into account the advice of European andinternational expert work;

NOTES that the cases confirmed of A/H1N1 infection are caused by a virus which is acombination of elements of animal and human origin, and is related to human to humantransmission. There is currently no scientific evidence of any link between this disease and theconsumption of pork meat or products;

EXPRESSES its solidarity with the most affected countries and DECLARES its readiness toexamine together with the Commission and in cooperation with the authorities of these thirdcountries, the possible ways and means to provide assistance in the fight against this outbreak.

all necessary appropriate measures should be taken for public health protection inaccordance with WHO recommendations issued on the basis of the IHR, taking intoaccount the ongoing work of the HSC, the advice of the ECDC and the WHO alongwith national plans and guidelines; INVITES the Member States to take all appropriatemeasures, if necessary also as regards travel, to ensure the most efficient protection tocitizens, based on consultations at European level, taking into account the evolution ofthis situation;

in the field of monitoring and surveillance, to continuously share information on theevolution of the A/H1N1 virus within their territory through existing European andinternational structures, in accordance with IHR;

in the field of diagnosis and treatment, to apply the common case definition foridentification of the human cases of A/H1N1 influenza new strain developed by theWHO and adopted by the European Commission in accordance with Decision2119/98/EC, and to elaborate common case management guidelines, as well as to sharediagnosis capacity as necessary and to make optimal use of anti-virals;

in the field of communication, to work together including through the HSC in providingaccurate, timely and consistent information and guidance to citizens with regard to theA/H1N1 influenza situation. All existing public information channels should be used asappropriate;

in the field of research and development, to closely cooperate together, and with thepharmaceutical industry, in facilitating the development of a pilot vaccine covering theA/H1N1 virus in the shortest possible delay, and, within the existing structures, inparticular the HSC, consider the most efficient purchase, management and deploymentof this vaccine and to continue further work as regards appropriate extension of the shelflife of existing stockpiles;

to continue to facilitate information sharing and cooperation between the MemberStates, in particular on risk evaluation, risk management and medical countermeasuresto the A/H1N1 virus within the EU, namely through coordination within the HSC; theEarly Warning and Response System for Communicable Diseases and the Committee ofthe Network for the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of CommunicableDiseases, and with third countries and international organisations, in particular theWHO;

promote the funding of measures for cooperation between the Member States onpreparing for and responding to a health threat under the existing Communityprogrammes and activities.