EFSA’s Biological Hazards & Animal Health and Welfare (BIOHAW) Unit regularly collects information from European countries on detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in domestic and wild birds, and more recently also in mammals. Based on data collected through the Animal Disease Notification System (ADIS) of the European Commission and the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as well as data voluntarily submitted by European countries to EFSA, regular updates on the avian influenza situation in Europe and worldwide are provided. In addition, EFSA also collects, compiles and analyses information on the countries’ legally required and voluntary surveillance activities. Furthermore, in order to enhance preparedness for HPAI in Europe, EFSA has outsourced several activities to provide early warning systems, to increase knowledge of circulating avian influenza viruses, and to fill evident research gaps.

With the present call, EFSA aims to test the added value of an active surveillance component in wild birds in two (no. 3 and 5) selected geographic areas (Figure 1) (grants were already awarded to no. 1–2, 4, and 7–9 in the context of the SENTINEL Wild Birds project), when combined with already existing surveillance activities carried out by different stakeholders across Europe. Pipelines for the rapid detection and identification of avian influenza viruses are foreseen to make surveillance results available in almost real-time and contribute to preparedness.

The objectives of the call are to

• establish a network of surveillance nodes across Europe;
• build long-term capacities and partnerships for active surveillance of HPAI viruses in wild birds;
• complement already existing (e.g. in wild birds found dead) or planned surveillance activities;
• provide a pipeline for rapid detection and identification of avian influenza viruses;
• get a fuller picture of avian influenza viruses circulating in Europe and thereby increase the genetic pool available for further analyses.

The total amount EFSA has available to award grants under this call for proposals is €400.000 per lot.

This call is to be intended complementary to other initiatives launched at local, regional, national and/or European level on the same topic. To this aim, applications proposing synergies with existing initiatives that bring added value and contribute to the objectives of this call (as listed in the paragraph below) are welcomed and rewarded, as detailed in the award criteria listed in Section 2.5 of this document.