EuroHealthNet contributes to the review of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)

The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) is a directorate-general of the European Commission created to prepare the EU for a future pandemic and to avoid the mistakes made during the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. HERA has been operational since early 2022.

HERA’s responsibility is to ensure that the EU and Member States are ready to act in the face of cross-border health threats. The directorate-general aims to assess potential health threats, promote research, ensure the availability of critical production and help build stockpiles. During a health crisis, the authority would activate emergency funding and help coordinate monitoring, acquisition and purchase of medical equipment or treatments.

EuroHealthNet has responded to a EU consultation, providing input for HERA’s review. In summary, in EuroHealthNet’s opinion HERA needs to:

1. Strengthen capacities of national public health systems, including protection, prevention and health promotion;
2. Not be too narrow-focused and include broader, non-medical, more psychosocial countermeasures and approaches as part of its preparedness framework; and
3. Operate with high levels of transparency, clearly involve civil society organisations and implementing bodies such as public health institutes.

Read our full response here.