The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
(ECDC) will have its seat in Sweden at a location to be determined by the
Swedish government, and the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA,
http://www.efsa.eu.int)
will be situated in Parma, Italy. This was decided at a meeting of the European
Council, made up of heads of state or government, which took place on 13 December
2003 (1,2). In a surprise move at the European Summit, ministers decided on
the location of the seats of ten European agencies, with competencies ranging
from information security and police training to maritime, railway and aviation
safety. The establishment of these offices and agencies - whether they have
already been set up or are about to be set up - will allow the Union’s action
to develop in these important sectors.
The EFSA’s management board was set up in September 2002, and the EFSA
has been operational since May 2003. Its temporary home has been in Brussels
(3). Legislation to set up the ECDC is expected to be finalised in the first
semester of 2004, with the intention of the Centre becoming operational
in early 2005 (4). The European Commission has a website with information
about the ECDC at http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_overview/strategy/ecdc/ecdc_en.htm.