ECDC Annual Work Programme 2012

As in the previous years, ECDC work for 2012 is planned on a yearly basis in an Annual Work Programme with a medium term “rolling time horizon”, which is based on the Strategic Multi-annual Programme (2007- 2013). In this way ECDC’s day-to-day work is linked to its longer-term goals and official mandate. This document is based on the priority list for scientific advice prepared by ECDC in January/February with input from Competent Bodies for scientific advice, the Advisory Forum (AF) and ECDC Units and Disease Specific Programmes, and scored by the Member States. A list of “ECDC 2012 Work Programme priorities” was also discussed by the Management Board in June 2011 and a written consultation of the Management Board took place during summer. Comments received from the Management Board, the European Commission and the Advisory Forum (meeting on 28-29th September) were fully taken in consideration. The Work Programme for 2012 has been prepared with a clear focus on ECDC values, developed in 2010: “service orientation”, “quality based” and “one ECDC”.

Main priorities of the 2012 Work Programme:

• According to the Strategic Multi-annual Programme 2007-2013 (SMP)1 , from 2010 onwards, ECDC should further consolidate its Public Health Functions now fully in operation (surveillance, scientific advice, preparedness and response, health communication) and give a higher priority to diseases specific work. This process is supported by the long term strategies for the Disease Specific Programmes adopted in November 2009 by the Management Board2 , as a complement to the SMP.
• Building Partnerships will remain a high priority in order to further improve ECDC’s overall cooperation with the EU institutions, Member States, other public health partners and external partners. The nomination of one Competent Body and a National Coordinator per country will aim to ensure full synergy in the work. ECDC will also strengthen its relations with the EU Candidate Countries and Potential Candidates, European Neighbourhood Policy countries, and other international institutions.
• The budget of the Centre will slightly increase by 4% in 2012, to reach 58.1 M€ (of which 20.3 M for operational expenses), while the total number of 300 staff3 will remain unchanged.
• During the written consultation, the Management Board highlighted the need for ECDC to focus on several cross-cutting issues, in particular: in the field of measles elimination, health inequalities and migrant health, strengthening of microbiology laboratory capacities in Europe and assessment tool for candidate countries.
• The implementation of the Work Programme for 2012 is conditional upon the approval of the corresponding budget by the relevant authorities