Scientific and technical assistance and training
Article 9
1. The Centre shall provide scientific and technical expertise to the Member States, the Commission and other Community agencies in the development, regular review and updating of preparedness plans, and also in the development of intervention strategies in the fields within its mission. 2. The Centre may be requested by the Commission, the Member States, third countries and international organisations (in particular the WHO) to provide scientific or technical assistance in any field within its mission. Scientific and technical assistance provided by the Centre shall be based on evidence-based science and technology. Such assistance may include aiding the Commission and Member States to develop technical guidelines on good practice and on protective measures to be taken in response to human health threats, providing expert assistance and mobilising and coordinating investigation teams. The Centre shall respond within its financial capacity and mandate. 3. Requests for scientific or technical assistance to the Centre shall be accompanied by a set deadline which must be agreed with the Centre. 4. In the event of such a request for assistance from the Commission, a Member State, a third country or an international organisation, where the financial capacity of the Centre is not adequate to deal with that request, the Centre shall assess the request and explore possibilities for response directly or through other Community mechanisms. 5. The Centre shall inform Member States authorities and the Commission without delay, within the framework of the Community network set up by Decision No 2119/98/EC, of any such request and of its intentions. 6. The Centre shall, as appropriate, support and coordinate training programmes in order to assist Member States and the Commission to have sufficient numbers of trained specialists, in particular in epidemiological surveillance and field investigations, and to have a capability to define health measures to control disease outbreaks.