The European Commission has held the first meeting of the EU COVID-19 national scientific advice platform.

Member States were welcomed to the first meeting of the EU COVID-19 scientific advice platform by President Ursula von der Leyen last week, complementing the President’s COVID-19 advisory panel and the work of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The platform will facilitate more co-ordinated scientific advice to Member State COVID-19 public health measure approaches across the EU.

Controlling the spread of COVID-19

At the meeting, the scientific advisors discussed the most effective settings for the use of rapid antigen tests, as well as the most effective use of isolation and quarantine to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “To beat coronavirus, we need the best scientists to join forces and find solutions against this virus, fast. This is why we are bringing together Europe’s top scientific advisors to debate and advise on the best way ahead on matters such as testing or isolation. This will help identify the most effective measures and will boost a coordinated approach across the European Union.”

The discussions on these and future items will inform the content and co-ordination of EU and Member State policy and complement existing sources of scientific advice from EU agencies and other sources.

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Since the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, the most significant challenge has been the coordination of national measures. Today’s launch of the scientific platform with top advisors from all our Member States will play a crucial role in ensuring that important decision on measures that affect the daily lives of our citizens, such as testing or quarantines, are based on the best available scientific knowledge and are well coordinated across the Union.”