Council Decision (EU) 2022/830 of 20 May 2022 on the position to be adopted on behalf of the European Union in the seventy-fifth session of the World Health Assembly as regards certain amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 168(5), in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

1. In the field of public health, Union action, which is to complement national policies, is to be directed towards improving public health, preventing physical and mental illness and diseases, and obviating sources of danger to physical and mental health. Such action is also to cover monitoring, early warning of and combating serious cross-border threats to health. To that effect, the Union and the Member States are to foster cooperation with third countries and the competent international organisations in the sphere of public health.

2. The International Health Regulations (‘IHR’) (2005) were adopted by the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (‘WHO’) on 23 May 2005 and entered into force on 15 June 2007.

3. On 3 March 2022, the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2022/451 authorising the opening of negotiations on behalf of the European Union for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, as well as complementary amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)⁽¹⁾.

4. The World Health Assembly, during its seventy-fifth session starting on 22 May 2022, is to adopt a decision on the amendment of Article 59 of the IHR (2005), in order to shorten the period necessary to further amend the provisions of the IHR (2005), notably by reducing from twenty-four to twelve months the period for the entry into force of the amendments thereof, together with related amendments to Article 55(3), Articles 61 and 62 and Article 63(1), which are necessary to bring those articles in line with the envisaged amendments to Article 59 of the IHR (2005).

5. Pursuant to Article 60(b) of the WHO Constitution, the World Health Assembly may adopt decisions by a majority of the members of the WHO present and voting.

6. The Union supports the objective of shortening the period necessary to further amend the provisions of the IHR (2005), and considers that the amendments to Article 59 of the IHR (2005), as well as to Article 55(3), Articles 61 and 62 and Article 63(1) thereof, will allow addressing changing needs more rapidly in the areas covered by the IHR (2005).

7. It is appropriate to establish, for matters falling within Union competence, the position to be adopted on the Union’s behalf in the World Health Assembly with respect to the decision, which the World Health Assembly is called upon to adopt, with a view to amending Article 59 of the IHR (2005), as well as Article 55(3), Articles 61 and 62 and Article 63(1) of the IHR (2005).

8. The Union’s position is to be expressed by the Member States of the Union that are members of the WHO, acting jointly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: