21
May
2026
Watch
The Union’s preparedness for and response to health emergencies: the case of the MV Hondius and the hantavirus warning (debate)
Mr President, Commissioner, 30 days. Exactly how much it took the Commission to issue the first coordinated opinion after the first person died on board MV Hondius. Thirty days, during which hundreds of European citizens travelled home without a single quarantine, without clear information, often without protection. Coordination broke down in the bud between the flag state, the port state, the ECDC, the WHO and national authorities. The result was confusion about the conditions of disembarkation in Tenerife and inconsistent quarantine in different Member States. HERA has been in place since 2021. Still, you imported test kits from Argentina. Is that the glorious readiness? Today, the Commission is selling the activation of the Early Warning System to us as a success. And I say: That's a minimum standard, not a reason to celebrate. Success would be to act before the WHO had to draw Brussels' attention to a ship flying the European flag. This crisis turned out relatively well, but only by chance, due to the low transmissibility of the virus. Next time relying on happiness is not enough. And this is the next time we have an Ebola epidemic already spreading in Africa today.