PROJECT 100: Strengthening of Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Measures in South East and Eastern European Region

Context

All beneficiary countries are affected to a different extent by limited biosafety and biosecurity management capabilities in the frame of integrated state border security measures. The outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic showed a number of weak points such as lack of technical capabilities for rapid bio testing and follow-up, shortage of pre-stockpiled disposable materials, lack of knowledge and skills related to the biosafety and biosecurity measures to be executed by the state border protection staff members, and lack of horizontal coordination between different state organizations responsible for biosafety and biosecurity measures implementation. Sustainability measures such as provision of regular national and cross-border exercises to test respective Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity response plans and procedures on national and international levels are also a challenge for the SEEE region.

Overall objective

To strengthen front line biosafety and biosecurity capabilities in the SEEE region partner countries in order to ensure minimization of bio hazard induced health consequences, human and economic losses following the violation of safety and security regimes on state borders and customs clearance zones related to bio threat monitoring and response.

Specific objectives

1. To establish/improve policy, guidelines and protocols on the biosafety and biosecurity management of any respective threats which might be occur on state borders as well as customs clearance zones;
2. To enhance technical capacities of the partner countries’ institutions through provision of appropriate equipment for trainings, exercises and front line biosafety and biosecurity response needs;
3. To conduct practical trainings and exercises (national, trans-boundary, regional) on Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity threats management;
4. To foster the establishment of national and regional Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity experts and agencies networking;
5. To share good practices of Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity management based on relevant EU institutions’ experience.

Activities

1. Inventory of existing capacities, practices, resources, needs, and relevant regulations in the Integrated Border Security especially focused on Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Management;
2. Elaboration/transfer of standard operations procedures/methodologies on specific aspects of Integrated Management of Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Threats;
3. National trainings and exercises for the development/enhancing of inter-agency cooperation in Integrated Management of Front Line Biosafety and Biosecurity Threats;
4. Cross-border, sub-regional and regional field and table-top exercises to establish/enhance cooperation by strengthening competences of existing national Front Line agencies.

Achievements

Project launched in May 2023.