The Commission’s Health Emergency and Preparedness Response Authority (HERA) and Canada’s newly established federal agency, Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC), have signed an Administrative Arrangement to strengthen cooperation in the area of medical countermeasures for preparedness and response to serious cross-border public health threats.
The Arrangement is one of the political deliverables of the EU-Canada summit on 23 June and the cooperation is a direct follow-up to the EU-Canada Health Policy Dialogue, which took place under the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Cooperation, on 9 September 2024.
International cooperation is vital to prevent, combat and contain pandemics, epidemics, and serious cross-border public health threats. It is, therefore, of common interest for the European Commission and Canada to foster cooperation in the area of medical countermeasures for infectious disease emergency preparedness and response.
HERA and HERC will develop and strengthen cooperation in priority areas for medical countermeasures, namely:
- research and innovation
- addressing challenges in commercialisation and scale-up
- supply chain resiliency
The Administrative Arrangement is operational for five years from the date of its signature. Throughout this time, cooperation will continue through discussion of current issues, experiences and the development of mutual interest in the area of medical countermeasures.
Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said: “Cooperation, coordination and communication are essential in response to health emergencies, but also to prepare for future serious cross-border public health threats. This agreement between the Commission’s Health Emergency and Preparedness Authority, HERA, and the newly established Health Emergency Readiness Canada, forms part of the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Cooperation. This is our shared promise to work closer together to be ready for all cross border health threats.”
