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, when a ship with nine European nationalities on board is confronted with a virus in the middle of the Atlantic, it is not a single capital that responds: it is a chain of European links that is being set up, links that cooperate, coordinate and complement each other. This chain did not exist before COVID-19. Today, it is operational because we have learned the lessons of this global pandemic, because we have been able to transform the European Union’s capacity to respond to health emergencies. By being better prepared, we enable a faster reaction – from several months to a few days –, more effective and more supportive on the part of our Union. But we need to go further. Commissioner, last week I was in Corsica: they are laying the groundwork for efficient laboratories. So let us build on this initiative and ensure that the Mediterranean and overseas islands are the sentinels of our Europe, because they receive all the different pathogens before us. The European Union Civil Protection Mechanism calls for us to seize all existing opportunities to protect ourselves from all disasters.