France is leading a charge against an EU proposal to merge Europe’s health crisis authority with its civil protection unit over fears it will downgrade the bloc’s ability to respond in a health emergency.

Europe’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) was set up in 2021 to better anticipate health threats and respond effectively to them. The authority has since procured vaccines for EU countries, boosted Europe’s disease surveillance through a wastewater network and led discussions on how to solve the bloc’s drug shortages crisis.

The European Commission has recently completed a review of the authority and — while the report has neither been published nor shared with the capitals — countries hear it contains proposals to merge HERA with the Commission’s civil protection and humanitarian aid unit, DG ECHO.

In a document to be sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, and seen by POLITICO, France — supported by 10 other countries — warns: “Merging or attaching DG HERA to another Commission DG would not guarantee the current system of governance which guarantees independent decision making, respect for the competencies of member states, and a high degree of stakeholder involvement.”

The countries are pushing to “preserve HERA’s current structure” — as an independent Directorate-General inside the European Commission — “which must not be dissolved.”

Much like the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the capitals say HERA’s work is just as important, adding: “In the current geopolitical context, it is essential for the EU to develop an autonomous structural capacity to prevent crises and respond to emergencies.”

France is joined by Germany, Spain, Belgium and Ireland in opposing the merger idea. Portugal, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Greece and Estonia are also on board.

The opposition first flared up Tuesday during a HERA board meeting, where capital representatives were present.

According to minutes of the meeting seen by POLITICO, Germany took to the floor, “despite not being on the agenda,” to raise concerns about the merger rumors. Germany was supported by France, whose rep encouraged other countries to support a paper they were preparing for von der Leyen.

One official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, suggested the merger is linked to the political horse-trading of competencies when Hungary’s Olivér Várhelyi was under consideration for health commissioner.

Political groups agreed in November to approve him as health commissioner but strip him of control of HERA. Instead, the authority was handed to Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.

Politico

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