Debate: Ebola fact-finding mission to West Africa

Christos Stylianides, the commissioner for humanitarian aid, will today (17 November) discuss the situation in Ebola-affected countries with the European Parliament's development committee, following his fact-finding mission to West Africa. The meeting focuses on assessing progress and identifying what further measures are needed to tackle the outbreak. Ahead of the debate we asked Gilles Pargneaux, a French member of the S&D group, his thoughts about the situation. Follow the meeting live from 17h CET.

Development committee members will discuss with Stylianides, who is the EU coordinator for the Ebola crisis, the situation in the West African countries affected by Ebola. Stylianides visited Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea between 12 and 16 November.
The EU  has pledged nearly €900 million to help tackle the Ebola crisis but members of the development committee have criticised member states for their reluctance to fully coordinate and scale up their efforts during the summer.

Gilles Pargneaux, author of a 2013 European Parliament report on serious cross-border threats to health, said: "Fighting Ebola is like a war," he said. "We must prevent this virus from proliferating in Europe."

He said that apart from prevention measures in Europe, action was also needed in West Africa: "The EU and its member states have the political and humanitarian responsibility to answer concretely to the crisis. We must intervene where it’s necessary: in West Africa."Pargneuax welcomed the €877m earmarked for fighting Ebola by the EU but urged member states to better coordinate their national politics together. "It’s crucial to do an inventory of European health facilities and sharing resources between member states - such as beds, aircrafts, equipment - is essential."