EU crisis agency: Between success story and potential for optimization

The establishment of the EU Crisis Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) was launched in 2021 as an internal body of the EU Commission . At that time, it was also determined that the authority would be subject to an evaluation by 2025 – the founding decision stipulates an evaluation requirement.

This report is now available and presents a positive assessment of HERA. This is hardly surprising, given that the EU Commission essentially evaluates its own institution. Nevertheless, the evaluation was comprehensive and based on a broad data base: consultations with stakeholders, public hearings, targeted surveys, and external studies. It also included assessments by EU authorities such as the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ( ECDC ), as well as opinions from the European Parliament and the Council.

According to the report, HERA has established itself as a central instrument of EU healthcare provision. The agency has improved cooperation within the EU , reduced gaps in care, and responded to health risks with concrete measures. At the same time, further development of the governance structure and a clearer delineation of responsibilities are necessary to ensure the agency's long-term effectiveness.

The report confirms that HERA's mission remains relevant. The tasks derived from the COVID-19 pandemic – better crisis preparedness, stronger coordination, and stable supply chains for medical measures – remain relevant even in the face of new threats such as climate risks. Experience since the COVID-19 crisis has shown that crisis coordination requires flexible governance structures. A high degree of coordination is crucial given the different responsibilities of the Commission, the Member States, and the EU agencies. This is also true given the many policy areas that must be considered for effective implementation – be they health , civil protection, research and innovation, industry, trade, competition, transport, border management, or general crisis response coordination. HERA's leading role in the "Alliance for Critical Medicines" is particularly positively highlighted.

The authority's so-called "crisis mode" has not yet been activated – the assessment relates exclusively to preparatory operations.