L21/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 1. 2000 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 22 December 1999 on the early warning and response system for the prevention and control of communicable diseases under Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document number C(1999) 4016) (2000/57[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community ('), and in par- ticular Articles 1 and 7 thereof, Whereas: 1) According to Decision No 2119/98/EC, a network at Community level is to be set up to promote cooperation and coordination between the Member States, with the assistance of the Commission, with a view to improving the prevention and control, in the Community, of the categories of communicable diseases specified in the Annex to that Decision. That network is to be used for the epidemiological surveillance of those diseases and for the establishment of an early warning and response system; The diseases and special health issues to be covered by the early warning and response system at Community level should reflect the present needs in the Community, in particular the added value of reaction at Community level; The early warning and response system must address the issues raised by the competent public health authorities in each Member State or evidenced by data collected under Article 4 of Decision No 2119/98/EC; () O] L 268, 3.10.1998, p. 1. (4) This Decision should facilitate the integration of the Community network set up under Decision No 2119/ 98/EC with other rapid alert networks set up at national or Community level for diseases and special issues to be covered by the early warning and response system. For the purpose of its implementation, the Community network should therefore operate by using in the first instance the Health Surveillance System for Communic- able Diseases within the European Public Health Infor- mation Network (EUPHIN-HSSCD), consisting of three components: (a) an early warning and response system for reports of specified threats to the public transmitted by the competent public health authorities of each Member State responsible for determining measures which may be required to protect public health; (b) exchange of information between accredited struc- tures and authorities of the Member States relevant to public health; (c) specific networks on diseases selected for epidemio- logical surveillance between accredited structures and authorities of the Member States; The development of new useful technologies should be monitored on a regular basis and taken into considera- tion for the importation of the EUPHIN-HSSCD as the operating system. The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up by Article 7 of Decision No 2119/98/EC,