As EU economic integration and open frontiers increased, cooperation on
public health issues became more important. While the idea of creating a European centre for disease control had been discussed previously by public health experts, the 2003
SARS outbreak and the rapid spread of SARS across country borders confirmed the urgency of the creation of an EU-wide institution for public health. ECDC was set up in record time for an EU agency: the
European Commission presented draft legislation in July 2003; by the spring of 2004,
Regulation (EC) 851/2004 had been passed, and in May 2005 the centre became operational. The European Parliament appointed UK Conservative
John Bowis as rapporteur for the regulation, thus making him responsible for drafting of the report, its presentation to Parliament, and navigating it through the legislative process. The relevance of the centre's mission was confirmed shortly after it began operating, when the arrival of
H5N1 avian influenza in the EU's neighbourhood led to fears that the disease could adapt or mutate into a
pandemic strain of human
influenza. The centre moved to its current location at Gustav III:s Boulevard in Solna, Sweden, on 3 March 2018. The ECDC manages key initiatives that focus on surveillance and response support, and public health capacity and communication, while the office of the chief scientist oversees the Microbiology Coordination Section and the Scientific Advice Coordination Section, along with seven Disease Programmes. The Disease Programmes focus on specific disease groups: •
Antimicrobial resistance and
Healthcare-associated infections • Emerging and Vector-borne Diseases • Food- and Waterborne Diseases and
Zoonoses •
Sexually Transmitted Infections, including
HIV and Blood-borne Viruses • Influenza •
Tuberculosis •
Vaccine-preventable diseases == Interaction with EU institutions ==