This independent panel of international public health experts reviews annual progress reports on immunization and surveillance from all 53 Member States and reports the findings and required actions to WHO.

Terms of reference

The RCC will:

• review updated polio eradication documentation from each country of the Region on an annual basis and report conclusions on risk assessment and required risk mitigation measures to the Regional Director and to the national committee in each country;
• request documentation (e.g., on population immunity, polio surveillance performance, laboratory functions, poliovirus containment, outbreak preparedness) needed annually from each country of the Region to demonstrate maintenance of their polio-free status;
• review national reports and documentation on poliovirus containment in order to assess the progress and recommend actions necessary to achieve containment goals within the European Region;
• validate the regional and national plans of action for sustaining the polio-free status in the Region;
• conduct site visits to countries, as required, to review or verify their polio-free status;
• work closely with and provide guidance to National Certification Committees;
• submit annual reports to the Global Commission for the Certification of Eradication of Poliomyelitis (GCC) on sustained level of immunization, surveillance, poliovirus containment and risk assessment;
• bring unresolved issues to the attention of the GCC;
• when required by the GCC, submit a final report, after due consideration and if judged to be the case, to certify the continued polio-free status of the Region to allow declaration of global certification.