EU foreign and securtiy policy chief Javier Solana poses during the press conference after the first day meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, on April 27, 2009. EU announced Monday to hold an emergency health ministers meeting on Thursday to evaluate the threat from swine flu and to coordinate EU's response to the outbreak. [Xinhua]

European Union (EU) health ministers will meet urgently on Thursday to tackle the rapid spread of the swine flu pandemic, EU officials said on Monday.

"The Czech (EU) presidency has called an extraordinary meeting of the EU ministers of health, which will take place on Thursday April 30," Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters.

EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou briefed the EU foreign ministers, who are meeting in Luxembourg, on the measures the EU has taken. She said one case of swine flu has been confirmed in Spain, an EU member state.

Vondra said the EU as a whole has not issued any advice to travelers with regard to swine flu. Earlier in the day, Vassiliou did indicate a travel advice -- in her capacity as an individual.

"Personally, I would try to avoid non-essential travel to the areas which are reported to be in the center of the clusters in order to minimize the personal risk and to reduce the potential risk to spread the infection to other people," she told reporters in Brussels.

The extraordinary meeting of the health ministers will evaluate the possible threat posed by the swine flu outbreak and coordinate efforts of the EU member states, said a statement of the Czech Republic.

"The (EU) presidency considers it of paramount importance to coordinate EU's response to the outbreak," said the statement.

The European Commission has been asked to prepare specific proposals for the possible measures to be taken.

EU rotating presidency Czech vice prime minister Alexandr Vondra, Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg and EU's Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero Walder (L-R) attend a press conference after the first day meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, on April 27, 2009. [Xinhua]

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2009)