Overview   Intelligence gathering

A word from DG HERA

On 18 February, the HERA Board met in Nicosia under the Cyprus Presidency, bringing together high-level representatives from Member States, EU institutions and agencies working closely with DG HERA. Discussions focused on the growing link between climate change and infectious diseases, and the need for stronger preparedness across Europe. DG HERA Director-General Florika Fink-Hooijer highlighted the importance of coordinated action to mitigate and adapt to emerging health threats, particularly vector-borne diseases.

We are happy to announce that the call for DG HERA’s Exchange Programme, under the EU4Health Work programme 2025, will soon be published. DG HERA’s exchange programme will provide a platform to share knowledge, best practices, lessons learned and innovative approaches between EU MS/EEA countries as well as international partner countries and organisations. The programme will be implemented through a Joint Action and will fund activities like expert exchanges, country visits and twinning.

DG HERA launched its first innovation call to strengthen Europe’s preparedness against CBRN threats — chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear — with total funding of €30 million. The call supports new vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and personal protective equipment, and advances rapid multiplex diagnostics for vector-borne diseases such as dengue and West Nile virus, which are spreading with climate change. This initiative reinforces Europe’s resilience and protection against emerging threats.

At Expo Osaka, DG HERA, DG Research & Innovation and the EU Delegation to Japan showcased advances in wastewater and environmental surveillance (WES) via GLOWACON. WES complements clinical surveillance by detecting early signals of disease circulation, enabling faster responses. By expanding monitoring to pathogens such as Zika, mpox, H5N1 and chikungunya, and applying metagenomic analysis, DG HERA and partners are building a smarter, connected early-warning system — a cornerstone of One Health, One World.

The launch of EIOS 2.0 and the Pandemic Simulator at the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin marks a major step forward for global epidemic intelligence. Co-funded by DG HERA, these innovative tools harness open data and collaboration to detect and understand health threats earlier. They show how shared knowledge can turn cutting-edge innovation into stronger preparedness and resilience worldwide.

Editorial

The European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (DG HERA) took part in the official opening of negotiations with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein on an autonomous agreement concerning Health Emergency measures in the area of medical countermeasures (MCM).

To strengthen Europe's vaccine readiness and responsiveness in times of pandemics, the European Vaccine Hub (EHV) was inaugurated in Siena. The initiative's key actions will, amongst others, speed-up vaccine development to less than four months from identifying a pathogen's genomic sequence.

We spoke with MEP Dolors Montserrat (substitute member of the Committee on Public Health), about the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and Europe's ongoing efforts to build a resilient, autonomous health system. She emphasizes the importance of strengthening the European pharmaceutical industry, fostering public-private partnerships, and ensuring equal access to innovative medicines. Montserrat also discusses the need for updated legislation and increased investment in research and digital health technologies. Read our interview to discover her vision for a stronger, more prepared EU health landscape.

Rome played host to the HERA Info Day, a pivotal event that brought together leaders and stakeholders from across sectors to meet, connect, and exchange ideas on health emergency preparedness.

On 30 January, in a significant step forward in Europe’s ability to respond swiftly to future health crises, Bilthoven Biologicals (BBio), member of the EU Fab network, officially inaugurated its new pandemic preparedness manufacturing facilities. Hosted at Bilthoven Science Park and completed in just 12 months, the facilities reinforce Europe’s strategic health autonomy by bolstering vaccine manufacturing capacity and supporting EU-wide pandemic response efforts.

HERA has commissioned a comprehensive Study mapping structures with relevant mandates, tasks, and functions to HERA within Member States and globally, identifying similar institutions across EU Member States, third countries, and multinational organisations. Covering 258 entities in 72 countries, the study provides an in-depth analysis of global pandemic preparedness efforts, offering valuable insights into the international health security landscape.

A study exploring the impact of large gatherings on airborne microbial diversity in urban environments has been carried out during the Olympic Games in Paris. The study, titled "Mass public events and microbial composition (virome and microbiome) of the air in crowded community settings in Ile-de-France”, is run by the Institut Pasteur in France in collaboration with the KU Leuven Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and the Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics, part of the HERA-funded DURABLE consortium.

The Critical Medicines Alliance (CMA) Working Group 1 & 2 met on 17 June to discuss assessing the vulnerability risks of critical medicines supply chains. Members shared experiences, identify key vulnerabilities, and explored industrial measures to address them.