The European Union's health commissioner called on Europe on Friday to protect itself from a possible epidemic of bird flu.
"Reinforcing the defences of Europe against infectious diseases is an urgent priority. Health experts warn us that a deadly flu pandemic could be imminent," Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said on the EU website on the occasion of the opening of the new European centre for disease prevention and control (ECDC).
"The ECDC will enable us to bring together Europe's top disease control experts in Europe-wide network and bring their collective expertise to bear on the threats facing us in the 21st century," he said.
The ECDC is tasked to develop an epidemiological surveillance across Europe and to coordinate the actions of member states in case of emergencies.
Currently staffed by a small group of researchers, it will eventually have 100 people and a budget of 48 million euros (60 million dollars) for its first three years.
The World Health Organisation has estimated that an epidemic could kill 100 million worldwide if the virus of the bird flu mutated and became easily transmissible between humans.