Governance procedure for ECDC meetings with commercial entities

An internal procedure governs ECDC’s meetings with umbrella organisations representing the commercial sector or commercial companies operating in the field of ECDC’s mandate. 

Such meetings can provide opportunities for the Centre’s experts to learn about new developments in the area of products used in infectious disease prevention and control. This is also an opportunity to update these organisations on ECDC’s work. 

The internal procedure lays out the governance of the Centre’s meetings with commercial organisations operating within its mandate, in order to ensure transparency, independence, impartiality, and scientific integrity, at the same time as engaging with relevant industry actors.

The procedure specifies that ECDC staff can only meet with umbrella associations bringing together organisations established in or covering the EU/EEA, which represent the majority of commercial actors in their sector and are listed in the EU Transparency Register. 

In exceptional cases and with safeguards to ensure the Centre’s independence, the ECDC Director participates in meetings with individual companies when necessary for obtaining specific information.

The decision to hold a meeting may follow a request from umbrella organisations of commercial entities, or on the initiative of ECDC. 

All interactions must adhere to the principles of transparency and impartiality. Meeting topics are always strictly scientific and technical. Following meetings taking place after the publication of this procedure, agendas, a list of participating organisations, and a summary of meeting minutes  will be published on the ECDC website (see below). 

Participants must declare interests orally at the start of the meeting and ensure accuracy and honesty in all their contributions. 

The procedure includes additional controls and safeguards, including a code of conduct and a mechanism for complaints about breaches of the code.