The Commission’s DG SANCO, with which the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) co-operates closely on avian flu response, has for many years maintained a well functioning network of national contact persons in various areas of public health. Even if a few national contact details had not been immediately available, a phone call by Commission staff to the European Regional Office of WHO in Copenhagen would have been sufficient to quickly obtain key contact information for any EU or non-EU public health authority in Europe.
Thus, any confusion that may initially have arisen about a timely avian flu response within the Commission is more likely to have been caused by communication problems within the Commission, than to the alleged unavailability of contact information for national public health authorities.
Administration and finance
World Health Organization