Pandemic response needs strengthening, auditors say

The EU’s plan for protecting people from serious cross-border health threats has “significant weaknesses”, the European Court of Auditors has found.

These weaknesses are the responsibility of both member states and the European Commission, the auditors reported on 8 December. They include an insufficiently speeded up joint purchasing of influenza vaccines by member states, and the lack of an EU-wide system to address urgent needs for vaccines and other medical treatments.

In addition, updates to procedures for dealing with serious chemical and environmental threats have not yet been tested, and the EU programme for protecting people from health threats has produced a lack of sustainable results.