Italian Prime Minister Meloni calls for EU coordination on Ebola epidemic

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sent a formal letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides regarding the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The letter, sent on Friday, calls for enhanced coordination of border surveillance and the implementation of common rules for managing arrivals from affected regions while respecting national health mandates. Meloni proposed adding the issue of border management to the agenda for the European Council summit scheduled for June 18-19. To prepare for this, the Italian government requested that coordination efforts be discussed during a video conference of health ministers next week and at the EPSCO Council meeting on June 16. Domestically, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Civil Protection Department have already issued protocols for health surveillance of travelers returning from the affected areas. While the full text of the letter remains unpublished, the official statement from the Italian government outlines these operational priorities for the European Union.