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The third EDCTP is born this is what it looks like

Blog | 08. December 2021

On November 19, the Council adopted the legislative basis for research and innovation (R&I) partnerships under Horizon Europe, so-called ‘joint undertakings’, launching two new EU public-private partnerships for health R&I: the Global Health EDCTP 3 and the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI). The main mission of EDCTP3 is to fight infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and the main elements of the partnership (that we previously detailed here) remain unchanged. However, there are a few novel aspects worth noticing and some open questions remain. Here is our take on the EDCTP3 proposal:

The scope of EDCTP3

What does the Regulation say?

EDCTP3 has two general objectives: promoting health R&I to address “the socioeconomic burden of infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa” and contributing to increasing “health security”. EDCTP3 also has specific objectives such as strengthening health R&I capacities in sub-Saharan Africa for infectious diseases and epidemic preparedness, facilitating better alignment between EU Member States, associated countries and sub-Saharan African countries through a common Global Health R&I agenda and promoting North-South and South-South collaboration.

What does this mean?

Although poverty-related and neglected diseases (PRNDs) are not specifically mentioned in the objectives, the Recitals state that EDCTP3 “should address the lack of appropriate diagnostics, treatments and vaccines, among other so-called health technologies, to address infectious diseases, such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis but also other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases, that are prevalent in Africa”.

Ultimately, the scope of work will be defined in the strategic R&I agenda (SRIA) and the annual work programmes. The latest public draft strategy refers to “HIV, TB, malaria, neglected infectious diseases [as per the WHO definition, and relevant to Africa[1], diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory tract infections, and emerging/re-emerging infections affecting sub-Saharan Africa [as well as…] antimicrobial resistance, climate-crisis-provoked changes in infectious disease incidence, and co-infections and co-morbidities (including comorbid non-communicable conditions) associated with target diseases or their treatment”.

One of the tasks of EDCTP3’s Scientific Committee will be to “review the landscape of poverty-related and neglected diseases to identify the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking’s role in partnership with other stakeholders to accelerate the development or improvement of interventions against those diseases”.

Membership

What does the Regulation say?

The EDCTP3 Governing Board will have two members, each one holding 50% of the voting rights. On the one hand, the European Union (EU), represented by the European Commission (EC); and on the other, the EDCTP Association, a non-profit organisation registered under Dutch law comprising the governments of European and sub-Saharan African countries participating in the partnership (Participating States). 

What does this mean?

The EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking is a new legal entity that will have its own Secretariat, which is expected to be based in Brussels, as well as its own CEO. The Secretariat of the EDCTP Association in The Hague will continue to exist and manage the EDCTP2 programme, in addition to coordinating the Participating States and their contributions to the EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking.

Eligibility criteria for funding

What does the Regulation say?

There are four independent pathways to accessing EDCTP3 funding:

What does this mean?

The budget: floors, ceilings and types of contribution

What does the Regulation say?

The EU contribution will be up to 800 million EUR in cash from the Union’s central budget of which ≈60 million EUR will cover the administrative costs of the EDCTP3. This amount is conditional to the following contributions:

EU contributions “may be increased with contributions from third countries associated to Horizon Europe […] provided that the total amount by which the Union contribution is increased is at least matched by the contribution of members other than the Union […]”. In-kind contributions are those that contribute to “operational activities” as well as to “additional activities approved by the governing board”.

What does this mean?

Governance structure

What does the Regulation say?
What does this mean?

[1] See footnote 7, in page 76, of the draft strategy for additional details.

Photos: © Unsplash

Lisa Görlitz

Head of Brussels Office | Head of Unit Development Policy EU