WPF comments on European Commission proposal for new Health Authority
The European Commission has proposed the creation of a new European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, HERA.
WPF provided comments regarding the proposal, urging the Commission to ensure from the outset that HERA will fulfill its mission with a focus on data interoperability and will include specific data governance and protection measures that will analyze and address informational risks, including those relating to privacy, among other informational risks.
WPF also encouraged the Commission to ensure that HERA will, as a prominent feature, include governance structures and policies that facilitate increased coordination and harmonization with external organizations both in Europe and the rest of the world. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA,) among other such institutions.
WPF also requested that the institutional design of HERA ensure collaboration with and consideration of all jurisdictions, including the low and middle income countries (LMIC) in meaningful ways through the design, purpose, and functioning of HERA.