Over the last decade, crises and contingencies have carved out a pathway for deepened integration of the European Union in the area of public health. These crises range from pandemic influenza, large-scale food contaminations to the prevention and preparation for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (terrorist) attack.The panel on EU health security proposes to analyze the role of the EU as a public health crisis manager, specifically focusing on the linkages between the EU public health policy and security policy. The panel examines the nature of EU health security policy and how substantively and institutionally the ‘low politics’ of public health policy is becoming intertwined with the ‘high politics’ of security.

The papers are organized around two interrelated questions. The first question is how is EU health security policy evolving? The paper of Madalina Busuioc and Anniek de Ruijter addresses the handling of the influenza A H1N1 pandemic at EU level and ensuing policy change. The paper looks at the role of EU as a (health) crisis manager on its own territory on the basis of empirical findings from interviews with experts in EU agencies and institutions. Scott Greer’s paper addresses the evolution of European public health policy by identifying the roles of ‘programmatic elites’: i.e. networks of policymakers, based in Member State governments and agencies, who can make beneficial alliances with entrepreneurial parts of the EU. Paulette Kurzer examines the paradox of the European parliament which seems rhetorical on the side of the consumer, but in fact has consistently interfered with and vetoed ambitious measures to address and prevent European health crises. The second question addresses the implications of EU health security policy. Here, the paper of Louise van Schaik looks at the EU's contribution to global health in the context of the WHO as an extension of the Union's increased activity in health security matters. Specifically her paper addresses the EU role in health security as part of its foreign security policy and its role as a global crisis manager by use of ‘effective multilateralism’.