The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has launched a multi-year programme to help EU candidate and potential candidate countries strengthen systems for tracking infectious diseases, prepare for public health emergencies, and combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The initiative, running from 2026 to 2029, aims to align countries with EU health standards and practices ahead of accession. By focusing on surveillance, emergency readiness and a One Health approach to AMR, the action seeks to improve cross-border health security and data comparability across Europe. The ECDC said the effort will support the implementation of the EU acquis on communicable diseases, a core part of the block’s health security framework. The move reflects lessons learned from recent crises and the need for interoperable public health systems in an enlarged Union.
A regional push to align health systems before EU accession
The ECDC Accession Support Action targets shared public health capacities rather than individual programmes. It focuses on strengthening national systems that underpin early detection and control of communicable diseases. These include surveillance networks, laboratory capability, data reporting and the ability to analyse and act on signals quickly. According to the ECDC, alignment with EU legislation and standards is central to the action, ensuring future Member States can contribute to and benefit from the Union’s health security mechanisms from day one.
Enlargement has long included health system alignment as part of adopting the EU acquis. Public health experts argue that consistent case definitions, reporting methods and laboratory quality standards improve the reliability of cross-country comparisons and speed up joint responses to threats that do not respect borders. The ECDC programme builds on that approach by pairing technical support with practical steps countries can take to meet EU requirements on surveillance and preparedness.
Upgrading surveillance to meet EU standards
Disease surveillance sits at the heart of the new action. The ECDC emphasises the need for robust, timely, and comparable data on infectious diseases. This includes strengthening routine surveillance and event-based systems that pick up unusual signals, such as clusters of respiratory illness or spikes in gastrointestinal infections. Consistent data feeds enable risk assessments at national and European levels and support rapid information-sharing when outbreaks spread across borders.
Standardised reporting also underpins the EU’s approach to monitoring vaccine-preventable diseases, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, and emerging zoonoses. Aligning with EU data structures improves the integration of countries into European platforms and early warning networks. Public health researchers note that strong national surveillance allows better use of regional tools and leads to quicker, more coordinated interventions when threats emerge.
Preparing for cross-border health emergencies
Emergency preparedness is a second pillar of the ECDC action. The programme seeks to help candidate and potential candidate countries plan for and manage health threats that cross borders, from respiratory pathogens to foodborne outbreaks. Practical elements typically include risk assessment methods, incident coordination, and clear protocols for communicating risks to the public and partners. The aim is to ensure that national response structures can link seamlessly with EU-level mechanisms during crises.
Recent years have shown that preparedness depends on both plans and practice. Exercises that test alert systems, information flows and decision-making can reveal gaps before a real incident occurs. Health policy analysts say that strengthening these capacities contributes to resilience across the region, reducing the risk of delays and missteps that can amplify the impact of a public health emergency.
One Health responses to antimicrobial resistance
The action places specific emphasis on AMR, reflecting a One Health approach that connects human health, animal health and the environment. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites stop responding to medicines, limiting treatment options and raising the risk of severe outcomes. Addressing AMR requires coordinated surveillance across sectors, prudent antimicrobial use, and strong infection prevention measures in healthcare and agriculture.
The ECDC’s focus on One Health aligns with EU and global strategies that link data and policies across ministries and professions. Monitoring resistance patterns, improving laboratory capacities, and reporting comparable data help identify trends and guide interventions at population level. Policy specialists note that reducing AMR requires system-wide efforts, including better stewardship and control of healthcare-associated infections, to slow the spread of resistant organisms.
Fitting into Europe’s wider health security framework
The new programme sits within the EU’s broader health security framework, which has expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic. The ECDC’s enhanced mandate, together with other EU initiatives, aims to improve preparedness for serious cross-border health threats and to support consistent implementation of EU rules. By helping countries adopt the acquis on communicable disease control, the action supports smoother integration into EU systems and strengthens regional public health capacity.
The initiative also complements ongoing cooperation with international partners across Europe. Aligning approaches supports shared situational awareness and allows evidence-based decisions when threats emerge. Health system observers point out that compatible data and procedures reduce duplication and speed up joint action, benefits that become more significant as the EU’s neighbourhood engages more closely with Union structures.
Timeline, participation and expected outputs
The ECDC states that the Accession Support Action will run from 2026 to 2029. The timeframe allows for phased work on surveillance, preparedness and AMR, with opportunities to assess progress and adjust activities. While specific country participation is defined by EU enlargement policy, the programme is intended for both candidate and potential candidate countries, reflecting different stages of readiness and needs.
Outputs are likely to focus on stronger surveillance processes, improved emergency planning and governance, and enhanced AMR monitoring under a One Health framework. Public health practitioners expect that these changes will show in more complete and timely data submissions, clearer coordination between agencies, and better integration into European information systems. These improvements can form part of accession benchmarks in the health domain.
Measuring progress and sustaining capacity
Sustained capacity building requires measurable progress. In public health, that often includes indicators such as data completeness, timeliness of reporting, laboratory accreditation, and performance in exercises. While the ECDC announcement outlines goals rather than detailed metrics, experts emphasise the value of tracking outcomes that reflect real-world readiness, not just the adoption of plans or guidelines.
Maintaining capacity over time also matters. Staff training, retention and institutional memory can determine whether improvements last beyond the life of a programme. Embedding changes into national systems—such as routine surveillance workflows, regular risk assessments and intersectoral AMR committees—helps ensure that gains persist and can scale as countries move closer to EU membership.
What this means
The ECDC Accession Support Action signals a practical step to close gaps in communicable disease control across Europe. For the EU, better-aligned surveillance and preparedness in neighbouring countries reduces the risk of delayed detection and fragmented responses to cross-border health threats. For candidate and potential candidate countries, the programme offers a structured route to meet EU standards, contribute comparable data, and connect with regional systems that inform rapid action.
As Europe faces evolving infectious disease risks and rising AMR, shared standards and interoperable systems can improve public health outcomes at scale. The programme’s focus on surveillance, emergency readiness and One Health reflects a shift towards integrated, population-level approaches. If implemented as planned, it could strengthen regional health security and support a smoother path to EU integration in the years ahead.
When and where: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced the Accession Support Action online on 27 January 2026 for implementation from 2026 to 2029. Source: ECDC.
