The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) was established by the Commission on 16 September 2021, building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the EU’s preparedness and response to health emergencies. HERA is a Commission Service set up to strengthen Europe’s ability to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to cross-border health emergencies, by ensuring the development, manufacturing, stockpiling, procurement, and equitable distribution of key medical countermeasures. Pursuant to Commission Decision C(2021) 6712, HERA is tasked with two functional ‘modes’: preparedness and crisis response following a recognition of a public health emergency at the EU level. To deliver on its mission, HERA has at its disposal €6 billion from the EU budget over a 6-year time period, part of which comes from the Next Generation EU top-up.
In the next six months, Open Evidence, in consortium with PwC Luxembourg, will conduct the evaluation of HERA through a backward and future-looking lens. In particular, the study will (i) provide an in-depth review of the implementation of the operations of HERA, including its structure and governance, (ii) assess the need to modify the mandate of HERA and the financial and legal implications of such modification as well as (iii) assess the need to establish HERA as a distinct entity, considering relevant agencies or authorities active in the field of health crisis preparedness and response.