Press Release: ‘EU will be better prepared for future epidemics’ says Byrne as Parliament backs new health agency

The European Parliament voted on 10 February 2004 in favour of creating a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The draft law to create the ECDC was presented by the European Commission in July 2003. The Parliament and Council of the European Union recognised the importance of the new agency and put the law on a legislative fast track. The two Institutions have worked with the Commission to enable the law creating the ECDC to be adopted after just one reading in the European Parliament. The opinion passed by Parliament on 10 February 2004 is likely to be endorsed by the Council in the coming weeks. Work will start later in 2004 on creating a Management Board for the agency. The ECDC is on course to become operational in 2005. The EU summit in December 2003 decided that the ECDC will be based in Sweden. A decision on which town it will be located in is expected soon.

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http://ec.europa.eu/comm/health/ph_overview/strategy/ecdc/ecdc_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/health/ph_overview/strategy/ecdc/ecdc_en.htm

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