EU foreign ministers called for a co-ordinated international response yesterday to deal with the global threat of a pandemic posed by the spread of bird flu.
They also agreed a strategy of tackling the problem both within the EU and at source in Asia, where bird flu has already killed more than 60 people since 2003.
A donors' conference will be held next year under the auspices of the World Bank in order to raise funds to help finance virus prevention efforts in states most affected by the bird flu in south-east Asia.
The European Commission will also announce plans later today for a major simulation exercise to test whether member states are prepared to deal with an outbreak.
"This exercise will test the effectiveness of national preparedness plans," said Health Commissioner, Markos Kiprianou.
"No country can defend itself on its own. There is a need for interoperability to defend against a possible influenza pandemic."
Mr Kiprianou also reiterated yesterday that not all member states had accumulated stockpiles of anti-viral drugs, which can treat the symptoms of influenza after they first appear.
"We have not reached the level of preparedness that we should have," said the commissioner, who added that human and animal health issues needed to be separated.
Currently the deadly H5N1 strain can only pass from birds to humans, making it far more difficult to spread among people. However, scientists fear that the virus could mutate, enabling it to pass between people creating an influenza pandemic.
Dutch firm Akzo Bobel NV, which already produces a bird flu vaccine for poultry, said yesterday it was working on a human vaccine and would begin clinical trials next year. However, scientists warned that it would be difficult and could take years.
British foreign secretary Jack Straw, who chaired the emergency meeting of ministers, sought to play down fears of a pandemic. He said the discovery of the H5N1 strain in Turkey and Romania was no reason to panic.
"So far there is no evidence of any transfer of the virus to human beings. Let us hope that remains the situation," said Mr Straw.
"But members of the public are bound to be concerned, and their concerns can be allayed if they are shown that every effort is being made by the European Union and by member states effectively to co-ordinate action."
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has expressed fears that alarm in Europe could distract attention from Asia, where the danger is more pronounced because people live closer to poultry.
Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan, who also attended the emergency meeting in Luxembourg, said Ireland was prepared to deal with any infection.
"We are being very vigilant and working closely with our poultry sector," said Ms Coughlan, who insisted there was no need for farmers to keep poultry indoors.
"There is no scientific information that suggests we should [ keep poultry indoors]."
She also said there was no question of vaccinating poultry in Ireland for the moment, and the Government had not ordered these drugs from suppliers.
Some countries in Asia, such as Vietnam, have chosen to vaccinate poultry following outbreaks of the virus, even though the vaccine is not considered 100 per cent fool proof.