CHAPTER 1

The Member States shall, after appropriate consultation of experts and relevant stakeholders, draw up, and keep up to date, contingency plans and, where necessary, detailed instruction manuals laying down the measures to be taken in the Member State concerned in the event of the occurrence of a listed disease referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1) or, as the case may be, of an emerging disease, in order to ensure a high level of disease awareness and preparedness and the ability to launch a rapid response. Those contingency plans and, where applicable, detailed instruction manuals shall cover at least the following matters: the establishment of a chain of command within the competent authority and with other public authorities, to ensure a rapid and effective decision–making process at Member State, regional and local level; the framework for cooperation between the competent authority and the other public authorities and relevant stakeholders involved, to ensure that actions are taken in a coherent and coordinated manner; access to: facilities; laboratories; equipment; personnel; emergency funds; all other appropriate materials and resources necessary for the rapid and efficient eradication of the listed diseases referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1) or of emerging diseases; the availability of the following centres and groups with the necessary expertise to assist the competent authority: a functional central disease control centre; regional and local disease control centres, as appropriate for the administrative and geographical situation of the Member State concerned; operational expert groups; implementation of the disease control measures provided for in Chapter 1 of Title II for the listed diseases referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1) and for emerging diseases; provisions on emergency vaccination, where appropriate; principles for the geographical demarcation of the restricted zones established by the competent authority in accordance with Article 64(1); coordination with neighbouring Member States and neighbouring third countries and territories, where appropriate. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down necessary measures concerning the implementation in the Member States of the contingency plans provided for in Article 43(1). Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 266(2). The competent authority shall ensure that simulation exercises concerning the contingency plans provided for in Article 43(1) are carried out regularly or at appropriate intervals: to ensure a high level of disease awareness and preparedness and the ability to launch a rapid response in the Member State concerned; to verify the functionality of those contingency plans. Where feasible and appropriate, simulation exercises shall be carried out in close collaboration with the competent authorities of neighbouring Member States and neighbouring third countries and territories. Member States shall make available to the Commission and to the other Member States, on request, a report on the main results of the simulation exercises carried out. When appropriate and necessary, the Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down rules concerning the practical implementation of simulation exercises in the Member States, relating to: the frequencies of simulation exercises; simulation exercises covering more than one listed disease referred to in point (a) of Article 9(1). Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 266(2).

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-02 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.