Who we are

ECDC's organisational structure

Director's office

The entities in the Director’s Office are functions which are linked to the implementation of the Centre’s strategy: they oversee and coordinate responses to political developments, external relations, important and urgent scientific and public health matters, as well as the high-level management of the internal workings of the Agency. The Director’s Office provides the central coordination of the Centre’s external strategic relationships inside the EU to Member States (MS), Advisory Forum (AF), Management Board (MB), Coordinating Competent Bodies (CCB) and to EU institutions (Commission, European Parliament, Council, other agencies), as well as outside the EU (EU enlargement (ENL), European Neighbourhood Policy Partner (ENP) countries), and partners with whom ECDC holds a Memorandum of Understanding (WHO, other CDCs). The actual implementation and the monitoring of the work is done in the Units.

The Data Protection Officer, Accountant and IT Security Officer report directly to the Director in those specific functions. The work in the Director’s Office is carried out in two sections:

• Governance and International Relations: The section serves as a central entry point for all ECDC’s strategic relations with the EU Commission services, European Council, ENL and ENP countries, WHO and other CDCs. It also coordinates ECDC’s country support by being the central entry point and monitors the implementation of the support activities. The operational activities are carried out in the respective Units/Sections that work in the area of the requested support. The Section also coordinates all activities with the corporate bodies (MB, AF and CCB), as well as ensures the coordination of the Director’s Consultation Groups (DCG).
• Policy Coordination and Communication (EP, EU Agencies): The section serves a central entry point for all ECDC’s strategic relations with the European Parliament, EU Agencies, the EU Agencies Network (EUAN), as well as other EU Institutions and actors of relevance to the strategic work of ECDC. The section supports policy engagement and communications of the Director and is responsible for coordinating and developing ECDC’s strategic and policy activities, including intelligence gathering, engagement and communications, particularly with a view to bridging between science and policymaking.

Disease Programmes Unit

The Disease Programmes Unit provides support on specific diseases and public health issues to the EU Member States, EEA countries, the European Commission and other partners, thus strengthening EU-level and national disease-specific prevention and control programmes and initiatives.

The Unit validates, analyses, and interprets surveillance data, whilst also assessing, and communicating the results to provide evidence for policymaking and action at the EU and country level. The Unit works to support Member States’ in improving their surveillance systems for the respective diseases in collaboration with external partners (WHO and other EU or UN agencies). Furthermore, by providing high-quality scientific advice, tailored country support, and laboratory and microbiology support, it furthers Member States efforts to combat cross-border health threats. The Unit is at the forefront of detecting and assessing disease outbreaks with a view to controlling and preventing serious threats to cross-border health in the EU. 

The Disease Programmes Unit is responsible for a significant part of the Centre’s scientific outputs including regular surveillance reports based on data from both indicator-based and event-based surveillance, scientific manuscripts and expert opinions, technical reports and guidance, fact sheets, rapid and systematic reviews, Annual Epidemiological Reports, and EQAs. The Unit works closely with the Scientific Methods and Standards Unit and Public Health Functions Unit.

The Unit also coordinates work on two horizontal functions: One Health and Prevention and Behaviour Change. Improved coordination of prevention activities in the EU aims to improve the health of EU citizens. Insights from the social and behavioural sciences are important to increase the acceptance of, and compliance with, public health interventions.

Through the Disease Networks, ECDC maintains a close link and a continuous dialogue with the national authorities and public health institutes in the Member States. Annual Disease Network meetings and other expert meetings and consultations are held regularly for scientific discussion, information, and exchange of best-practice. The Disease Programme Unit regularly liaises and coordinates with a number of external partners, including the European Commission, WHO Regional Office for Europe, and several sister-agencies such as European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The work undertaken by the Unit contributes to a number of EU and Global Action Plans, thus furthering the reach and impact of ECDC’s work.

The Unit is divided into five sections:

• Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections (ARHAI)
• Emerging, Food- and Vector-Borne Diseases (EFVED)
• Respiratory Viruses and Legionella (RVL)
• Sexually Transmitted Infections, Blood-Borne Viruses and TB (SBT)
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Immunisation (VPI)

Public Health Functions

This Unit is responsible for the delivery of ECDC’s statutory public health functions. The Unit works closely with the disease programmes as it provides the data for the respective disease-specific outputs and needs the input from the DPs for the respective specific emergency preparedness and training needs. 

The work to achieve these aims is carried out in three sections:

• Public Health Training: This Section aims at strengthening public health capacities in Europe through the coordination of the EPIET and EUPHEM programmes, providing short courses and programmes for training the trainers and continuing education of experts. It also aims at strengthening training networks and progressively implementing innovative methods and tools for teaching.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response Support: This Section coordinates ECDC activities related to efficient planning and evaluation of emergency preparedness and response support. It also coordinates Public Health Events and deployments either with DG ECHO or with GOARN, and operates ECDC’s Emergency Operation Centre.
• Surveillance: With broad technical expertise in surveillance, this Section ensures timely detection of communicable disease threats, their assessment and provides support for enabling Member States to mitigate them.

Scientific Methods and Standards

Scientific excellence is at the heart of the ECDC vision and strategy. This Unit leads the processes for strengthening the scientific excellence and the dissemination of knowledge within the organisation and to partners. This includes the quality assurance of ECDC’s scientific work and the organisation of ESCAIDE. It also covers the definition of the standards for the Centre’s scientific processes and outputs and monitors performance against those standards.

The Unit is also responsible for ensuring the relevance and transparency of ECDC’s scientific outputs through appropriate consultation. The Unit leads and coordinates ECDC’s activities on research and innovation. In liaison with other Units, the Unit identifies priorities and supports learning and development activities to develop and strengthen the competencies of ECDC’s scientific workforce.

In addition, the Eurosurveillance Editorial Office is hosted in this Unit.

Digital Transformation Services Unit (DTS)

The Unit delivers digital solutions, maintains IT products and provides IT services, which are instrumental to the operation and administration of the Centre. It also provides a digital workplace addressing the needs for mobility, communication and collaboration of staff. The Unit networks with other EU bodies and partners across Europe for topics relevant to digital transformation.

The Unit's work is carried out in three sections:

Digital Governance: The Section is responsible for the Unit's strategic and financial planning in line with and derived from the ECDC strategy and planning, enterprise architecture, digital innovations, quality and continual service improvement. It also manages the information security management system.

Digital Solutions: This Section is responsible for delivering digital solutions based on business requirements, managing business requirements, defining solution architecture, conducting studies, projects and maintaining IT products for all Units.

IT Operations: This Section provides end user services, application hosting and enterprise infrastructure services, it aims to build maintainable, compatible and sustainable services, which are scalable according to operational need.

Resource Management Services

The Resource Management Services Unit aims at top quality management of ECDC's human and financial resources. It is comprised of four Sections performing core resource management tasks:

• Human Resources: Promoting a supportive work environment that attracts, develops and motivates a multicultural and highly professional work force by providing high quality services based on competent advice and communication with the ECDC’s staff and management.
• Finance and Accounting: Ensuring that the financial resources of the Centre are managed efficiently and reported in a clear and comprehensive manner. Provide financial initiation and verification of commitments and payments. Execute all payments of the Centre. Provide the annual accounts of the Centre which present a true and fair view of the financial position of the Centre. Ensure the preparation of draft and amending budgets and its publications. Provide budgetary reporting on the general implementation of the budget and its transfers. Finance provides financial advice and support to all Units in the Centre regarding budgetary commitments and budget monitoring.
• Legal Services and Procurement: Providing legal advice to the Centre and all Units in legal matters related to the operational as well as administrative field of the Centre’s activities. Furthermore, the section is providing clear operational procurement support to all units and assisting all internal customers in accomplishing their operational goals in a timely manner. The section helps maintaining compliance with the procedures and monitors the Centre’s contracting for goods and services.
• Corporate Services: Developing and maintaining the premises of the Centre to meet the requirements of the organisation, providing logistics services for the operational activities and to staff, maintaining the physical inventory and ensuring security. Organising travel and hotel arrangements and providing budget verification, monitoring and processing of reimbursement claims for staff, interviewees and experts invited to ECDC with a high level of service attitude and ensuring an economically prudent use of ECDC’s travel budget.