Press Release: Commission pledges EUR80 million to fight bird flu in third countries

Preview of the 'International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza', Beijing, 17-18 January 2006. The European Commission was planning to pledge its external response to the threat of avian flu, including a grant of up to €80 million to combat the spread of the virus in developing countries, particularly in Asia. The conference’s aim was to mobilise and co-ordinate the financial support from donors to boost the response to avian influenza and potential flu pandemic at the national, regional and global level.