The CBRN CoE Regional Secretariat for the South East and Eastern Europe region is located in Georgia and is hosted by the State Security Service in Tbilisi.
The Secretariat plays a major role in helping achieve the objectives of the CBRN CoE through ensuring a good level of cooperation and coordination among the ten Partner Countries. The Regional Secretariat also provides support with the engagement of regional and international technical partners, potential donors and other stakeholders in the area of CBRN risk mitigation. It contributes to build local ownership and to a greater sustainability of the CBRN CoE network.
- CBRN risk assessment
- CBRN capacity building
- Biosafety and Biosecurity
- CBRN Infrastructure Protection and Security
- Enhance border control of CBRN materials
- CBRN national legislation
- Food Safety and Defense
- CBRN Forensics Capabilities
- Transport safety and security of CBRN materials
- Strategic Trade Control of Dual Use Goods
- CBRN public awareness
29 projects have been implemented in the region, of which the current 4 are ongoing:
- P88 - Strengthening of CBRN Medical Preparedness and P88 Response Capabilities in SEEE countries
- P75 - MEDILABSECURE - Preventing biological risks increased by environmental and climate change in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Sahel regions
- P67 - Strengthening CBRN waste management capabilities in South East and Eastern European countries
- P53 - Strengthening the National Legal Framework and Provision of Specialized Training on Bio Safety and Bio Security
Two new project proposals will be launched in the SEEE region
in 2023:
- Enhance the CBRN Critical Infrastructure Protection and Security
- Strengthening of Front-Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures
- The ongoing planning of the Biosafety and Biosecurity Field Exercise, which will be hosted by Montenegro in 2023
- 18 Regional Round-Table Meetings of the National Focal points were organised at the United Nations Headquarters, the European Union Headquarters, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Switzerland, Belgium, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two meetings were held in an online format, while one meeting was held in a hybrid format
- Over 30 workshops have been organised with the National CBRN Teams in the region. Ten Online Webinars were organised in close cooperation with different international partners and countries to discuss the COVID-19 country priorities expressed in the fields of response, exchange of best practice and success stories
- Four training sessions on ISO 31000 in Risk Management, as well as practical training on CBRN risk assessment were conducted in 2021. Countries were encouraged to consider hosting national CBRN risk and threat assessment training sessions dedicated to their specific field of interest
- Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Moldova have carried out the Needs Assessment Questionnaire with the support of the JRC. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have finalised their initial CBRN National Action Plans (NAP) with the support of UNICRI, JRC and the SEEE Regional Secretariat. Ongoing review and update of the National Strategy and NAP by the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Montenegro
- The CBRN Regional Action Plan of the SEEE region was reviewed and endorsed by the NFPs in May 2022 as a working-level document for the upcoming 5 years’ time frame. CBRN donors and stakeholders coordination conference will be organised for those countries which have completed the process of developing their CBRN National Action Plans
- By using regional subject matter experts, the SEEE region produced the Prosecutor’s Guide to Chemical and Biological Crimesjointly with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and International Association of Prosecutors (IAP). A package of capacity building and training activities was developed in order to integrate the Guide as part of professional duties of prosecutors, investigators and law enforcement authorities
- Prosecutor’s Guide to Radiological and Nuclear Crimes will be developed in 2023 jointly with the UNICRI, IAEA, and JRC. Chemical and Biological Crime Scene Management Guide will be developed jointly with its partners in future
- Countries of the SEEE Region join the European Network of CBRN Training Institutions, titled e-NOTICE Network, after conducting regional awareness-raising workshops
- Cooperation with the main international (IAEA, OPCW, UNDP, UNODA, UNODC, UN SC 1540 Committee, INTERPOL, IAP) regional (OSCE) and national stakeholders as well as other donors and initiatives
Latest news from South East & Eastern Europe

Prospective study shows effectiveness in the control of leishmaniasis vectors
First-of-its-kind study suggests insecticide thermal fogging can play important role in reducing transmission of neglected vector-borne disease
- CoE Region
- MIE - Middle EastNAS - North Africa and SahelSEEE - South East and Eastern Europe

New EU CBRN CoE Newsletter released
Latest issue highlights Lebanon’s CBRN counter-terrorism field exercise, a series of CBRN Forensics Guidebooks, gender parity within the CBRN domain, and more
- CoE Region
- AAF - African Atlantic FaçadeCA - Central AsiaECA - Eastern and Central AfricaGCC - Gulf Cooperation Council CountriesMIE - Middle EastNAS - North Africa and SahelSEA - Southeast AsiaSEEE - South East and Eastern Europe

Expanding training network for SEEE
To further enhance cooperation between 31 institutions in SEEE, it was suggested to create a standalone regional networking platform
- CoE Region
- SEEE - South East and Eastern Europe