Scientific cooperation among Europe's One Health agencies

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Food Safety
• Chemical Safety
• Pharmaceuticals

Background:

• Five EU agencies (ECDC, ECHA, EEA, EFSA, EMA) have a history of scientific cooperation on One Health.
• Key areas of collaboration include zoonoses, emerging risks, and antimicrobial resistance.
• Effective cooperation relies on coordinated efforts, clear communication, and joint activity management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze cooperation tools used by the five EU agencies as outlined in Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and working arrangements.
• To identify joint publications resulting from inter-agency cooperation.
• To recommend future strategies for strengthening scientific cooperation and One Health implementation.

Main Methods:

• Review of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and working arrangements among the five EU agencies.
• Bibliometric analysis of joint publications to identify areas of cooperation.
• Qualitative analysis of cooperation mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Identification of various cooperation tools and working arrangements employed by the agencies.
• Cataloguing of joint publications demonstrating collaborative efforts on One Health topics.
• Evidence of successful, long-standing collaboration among the EU agencies.

Conclusions:

• The existing cooperation among EU agencies is successful and has yielded joint publications.
• Further exploration of scientific cooperation mechanisms is recommended.
• Enhanced multi-sectoral approaches are needed to advance One Health implementation in the EU.