Communicable disease control might be one of the oldest and most central
functions of government, but it is also one in transition. The European Union has
become a major part of the public health infrastructure of the continent, influencing
the chances and courses of illness with its policies and agencies. Like much of
EU policy, this happened with few specific decisions and only a weak legal basis.
But its influence is dramatic, and little-studied or even noted. This conference
brings together academics and practitioners from the EU and U.S. to understand
how communicable disease control is becoming a strength of the EU and what its
consequences might be.

The conference is convened by Scott L. Greer, assistant professor of health
management and policy, with a welcome by Ken Kollman, professor of political
science and acting vice-provost for international affairs.

Conference participants
include: Bernard Merkel, European Union Delegation, Washington, DC; Jacques A.
Drucker, Embassy of France, Washington, DC; Scott L. Greer, Heather Elliott, David
Kline Jones, and Howard Markel, U-M; Marco Liverani, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK; Margitta Mätzke, University
of Göttingen, Germany; Tamara K. Hervey, University of Sheffield, UK; Monika
Steffen, IEP Grenoble, France; Louise G. Trubek and Thomas R. Oliver, University
of Wisconsin-Madison; Wyn Grant, University of Warwick, UK; and Daniel M.
Fox, Milbank Memorial Fund.

Contributions to the conference were also made by Robyn Martin, Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of
Hertfordshire, UK; Ralf Reintjes, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences; and Rosemary C.R. Taylor,
Associate Professor of Sociology and Community Health, Tufts University.

This conference is a European Commission sponsored project.
SPONSORS: European Union Center of Excellence, Center for Global Health,
International Institute, Michigan Center for Public Health Preparedness, and School
of Public Health.