Communicable disease outbreaks can pose a significant threat to the health and well being of the European Union's citizens. In a European Union where millions of people cross internal and external borders each day, tackling health threats requires a much closer co-operation between Member States, the European Commission, the World Health Organisation and affected countries around the world. The European Union citizens place a very high value on the protection of their health. 

Since 1999, the Commission has managed a Communicable Diseases Network. This is currently based on ad hoc cooperation between Member States within the legal framework of Council and Parliament Decision 2119/98/EC. However, there is a need for a substantial reinforcement of this system if the European Union is to be in a position to control communicable diseases effectively.

In Spring 2004 the Council and the European Parliament adopted enabling legislation to create a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This new EU agency will provide a structured and systematic approach to the control of communicable diseases and other serious health threats which affect European Union citizens. The ECDC will also mobilise and significantly reinforce the synergies between the existing national centres for disease control.

In July 2005, the role of ECDC authorising officer was taken over by the Executive Director from the European Commission. On that occasion, the Commission addressed a first handover note to the Executive Director dated 15 July 2005.

Following multiple contacts between the new staff of the ECDC and the Health Threats Unit of the European Commission, all relevant document and projects conducted by the Commission services and relating to the fight against communicable diseases and bioterrorism have been summarised in a second handover note to the ECDC Executive Director dated 21 September 2005.

Main Tasks of the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control.