Un rapport technique de l'ECDC de 39 pages, en anglais, fait un état des lieux du niveau de préparation de l'UE et des états associés pour faire face à une éventuelle pandémie grippale. Si beaucoup a été fait en 2005, des améliorations sont encore possible. L'article sur le rapport (en anglais)

Ci dessous "l'executive summary" (en anglais)

Since 2005, the EU and all its Member States (together with those others in the European Economic Area) have made unprecedented progress in strengthening European preparedness against the next pandemic.

The health sectors in all countries have developed preparedness plans and, at national level, much is being done to make these plans operational. Arguably Europe is the best prepared region in the world.

There has been no reduction in the threat of a pandemic. All that has changed since 2005 is that we are two years nearer the next pandemic, and citizens might expect to be as protected as they can be by now. That is not yet the case, reflecting the fact that preparing complex countries for a pandemic takes at least five years of sustained effort. It is a fact that European countries as a whole are only half way to being properly prepared. That is a view supported by the accompanying Technical Report on European Pandemic Preparedness prepared by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and by the self-assessment of Member States.

ECDC estimates that a further two to three years of sustained effort and investment are needed by the EU and its Member States to achieve the level of preparedness needed to respond well to a pandemic. This means reaching a level of preparedness where citizens can be confident that when the inevitable pandemic comes :
primary care systems will be able to deliver treatments like antivirals and antibiotics to most of those who need them, when they need them ;
hospital systems will be able to deliver acute care to the sickest influenza patients as well as continuing to provide essential treatment for non-influenza-related conditions despite inevitable high levels of staff sickness ;
essential services like power, food and fuel supplies will continue to function at the local level ;
pandemic vaccine will start to arrive in the hands of primary care services within six months of the pandemic and there will then be enough seasonal vaccine each year after that when annual epidemics of influenza can be expected to be more intense.

Much remains to be done by EU structures and Member States. Five key areas on which Member States are particularly recommended to focus are : 1. Integrated planning and preparation across governments and sectors ; 2. Making plans operational at the local level ; 3. Ensuring inter-operability at the national and regional levels (that countries work together before and during a pandemic) ; 4. Stepping up prevention efforts against seasonal influenza, especially through vaccination ; and 5. Extending and better directing influenza research to answer key questions.

In summary, by continuing to act together, Member States and the European Commission, supported by EU Agencies like ECDC, have made great progress in preparing Europe for a pandemic. However, the work is not yet finished and there is a danger that without completion the initial work will not be translated into real protection for EU citizens when the inevitable pandemic comes. A further two to three years of intense work are needed at all levels, but especially at the local level, and by all European partners in order to finish the job.