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1. The network for the epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases, including those of zoonotic origin, and related special health issues referred to in Article 2(1), points (a)(i) and (a)(ii), (‘the network for epidemiological surveillance’) shall ensure permanent communication between the Commission, the ECDC, and the competent authorities responsible at national level for epidemiological surveillance. The ECDC shall ensure the integrated operation of the network for epidemiological surveillance as set out in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 851/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council . Whenever relevant, the network for epidemiological surveillance shall work in close cooperation with the competent bodies of the organisations operating in the field of epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases and of related special health issues, from the Union, third countries, the WHO, and other international organisations.

2. The network for epidemiological surveillance shall aim to:

(a) monitor trends in communicable diseases over time, across Member States and in third countries, to assess the situation, respond to rises above warning thresholds and facilitate appropriate evidence-based action;

(b) detect and monitor any cross-border communicable disease outbreaks with regard to source, time, population and place in order to provide a rationale for public health action;

(c) contribute to the evaluation and monitoring of communicable disease prevention and control programmes in order to provide the evidence for recommendations to strengthen and improve those programmes at the national and Union levels;

(d) identify and monitor risk factors for disease transmission, and population groups at risk and in need of targeted prevention measures;

(e) contribute to the assessment of the burden of communicable diseases on the population, using such data as disease prevalence, complications, hospitalisation and mortality;

(f) contribute to the assessment of the capacity of health systems to diagnose, prevent and treat specific communicable diseases, with the objective of contributing to patient safety in the context of serious cross-border threats to health;

(g) contribute to modelling and scenario development for response;

(h) contribute to the identification of research priorities and needs, and implement relevant research activities aimed at strengthening public health; and (i) support the contact-tracing measures of competent health authorities.

3. The national competent authorities referred to in paragraph 1 shall communicate the following information, based on agreed indicators and standards, to the participating authorities of the network for epidemiological surveillance:

(a) comparable and compatible data and information in relation to the epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases and related special health issues referred to in Article 2(1), points (a)(i) and (a)(ii);

(b) relevant information concerning the progression of epidemic situations, including for modelling and scenario development;

(c) relevant information concerning unusual epidemic phenomena or new communicable diseases of unknown origin, including those in third countries;

(d) molecular pathogen data, if required for detecting or investigating serious cross-border threats to health;

(e) health systems data required for managing serious cross-border threats to health; and (f) information about contact-tracing monitoring systems developed at national level.

4. The information communicated by the national competent authorities referred to in paragraph 3, point (a), may be, when available, reported at least at NUTS II level to the European Surveillance Portal for Infectious Diseases operated by the ECDC, on a timely basis.

5. When reporting information on epidemiological surveillance, the national competent authorities shall, where available, use the case definitions adopted in accordance with paragraph 10 for each communicable disease and related special health issue referred to in paragraph 1.

6. The Commission and the Member States shall work together to strengthen the data collection and sharing capacity of Member States and to define disease-specific European surveillance standards based on the proposal of the ECDC, in consultation with the relevant surveillance networks.

7. The ECDC shall monitor and evaluate the epidemiological surveillance activities of dedicated networks on surveillance, including adherence to the surveillance standards referred to in paragraph 6; support Member States with scientific and technical advice to improve the timeliness, completeness and quality of the surveillance data reported; and share regular monitoring reports with the HSC and the Commission. The ECDC shall also, where applicable and in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 851/2004, make available its expertise on epidemiological surveillance to third countries. The ECDC shall regularly provide an overview to the HSC on the timeliness, completeness and quality of the surveillance data reported to it. The ECDC shall support the Member States to ensure the collection and sharing of data in times of health crisis for the purposes of paragraph 2.

8. The Commission may complement the action of the Member States through the adoption of recommendations on surveillance addressed to Member States. The HSC may adopt communications and recommendations on surveillance addressed to Member States, the ECDC and the Commission.

9. Each Member State shall designate the competent authorities responsible within the Member State for epidemiological surveillance as referred to in paragraph 1.

10. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, establish and update:

(a) the list, on the basis of the criteria listed in Section 1 of Annex I, of communicable diseases and related special health issues referred to in Article 2(1), points (a)(i) and (a)(ii), in order to ensure coverage of communicable diseases and related special health issues by the network for epidemiological surveillance;

(b) case definitions, on the basis of the criteria listed in Section 2 of Annex I, concerning each communicable disease and related special health issue subject to epidemiological surveillance, in order to ensure the comparability and compatibility at Union level of the collected data; and (c) procedures, as set out in Section 3 of Annex I to this Regulation, for the operation of the network for epidemiological surveillance, as developed pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 851/2004. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 29(2).

11. On duly justified imperative grounds of urgency relating to the severity or novelty of a serious cross-border threat to health or to the rapidity of its spread among the Member States, the Commission may adopt immediately applicable implementing acts, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 29(3), for the adoption of case definitions, procedures and indicators for surveillance in Member States in the event of a serious cross-border threat to health referred to in Article 2(1), points (a)(i) and (a)(ii). Those indicators for surveillance shall also support the assessment of capacity for diagnosis, prevention and treatment.